


Fans

by Loki_ate_my_pudding



Category: IT (2017), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Famous Richie, Poor Eddie, kinda sad, rich richie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2018-02-01
Packaged: 2019-02-23 15:17:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 32
Words: 27,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13192857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loki_ate_my_pudding/pseuds/Loki_ate_my_pudding
Summary: Richie Tozier may be a famous singer at the age of 16, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t notice crying  fans in the front row of his concerts.-Originally written on Wattpad





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Wow I’m back with another shitty fic

The music pierced his ears, ripping him away from his thoughts as the first hit against the loud drum echoed throughout the venue. The crowd arund him roared, the sound of teenaged girls screaming making him wince slightly, then smile. They were all here for them, excited for the full band to take the stage and blow them away. The drummer tapped easily on the snare, a drumroll preperation for the first song as the fans waited for the band to file out.

His eyes lit up as the curly haired boy ran onto the stage, taking his place infront of the microphone, holding his guitar carefully. The bassist and other guitarist came running out after, taking their places as well. He couldn't tear his eyes away as he stared in awe at the scene, the whole crowd seeming to do the same before the screams erupted like a volcano, exploding through the venue. Bill tapped his shoulder and gestured to the camera that rested in his hands a few moments into the first song.

His shaking hands lifted the black device up to his face as he got into a better position to snap the perfect picture of the band from his front row seat. The song went on, Eddie too in shock to sing along as he took pictures of them.

"How are you doing tonight, Maine?!" Richie shouted into the microphone, his words followed by a chorus of screams. Eddie could only stare in awe, Bill bumping into his side.

"D-do you n-need you inhaler, E-Eddie?" He asked over the screams, earning a firm headshake from Eddie. Eddie could care less about the lack of air filling his lungs as he watched one of his favorite people bounce around on stage, smiling wide.

"Let's have a good time tonight, yeah? Don't be dicks to each other, be nice to your neighbors!" He shouted again and Eddie felt like jell-o as he lifted up the camera again, snapping a picture of Richie's award winning smile. People around him jumped around, dancing wildly to the music that echoed through the venue.

Eddie struggled to keep his front row seat, slowly being pushed back, desperate to keep the expensive camera in his hands. He winced once he noticed how far he'd drifted from his original spot, seeing Bill standing where he once had been. Eddie weaved his way through the sweaty fans, muttering apologies when he bumped into someone, only to be met by scowls or kind "It's okay"s.

He made it about three feet from where Bill stood, about to take another step before a body rougly beat against his own, knocking the delicate camera out of his trembling hands. Eddie's face paled instantly as he got onto his knees, quickly collecting the now broken camera back into his hands. He felt his bottom lip tremble as he held the broken piece of technology, looking back at the person who'd bumped into him who wore a large grin. He couldn't tell what the look meant, but it broke his heart nonetheless.

He sniffled and wiped the tears away from his eyes as he made his way back to Bill, holding his broken, once most prized possession. "B-Bill?" He muttered, elbowing the slightly taller teen.

Bill shifted his eyes down to look at what Eddie was holding, a frown instantly taking over the smile that once sat on his face. "O-Oh, Eddie.." He picked up the broken piece from his hands, examining it. He frowned as people continued to bump into him. "M-maybe we can f-find a way to g-g-get it fixed."

Eddie shook his head, quickly taking it back and putting it into his bag as he pulled out his old, cracked Iphone, deciding that pictures on that were better than no pictures at all. He couldn't help it as tears continued to well up in his eyes. That was, until, he noticed that Richie was looking right at him.

His heart stopped momentarily when his eyes locked with the curly haired boy's, forgetting about the broken camera and instantly smiling despite the tears in his eyes. A look of concern washed over the famous boy's face when he noticed the tears, but he kept playing.

The concert was fun, Eddie having the time of his life, despite the broken camera, making eye contact way too many times with the singing boy on stage. The final song before the encore sent chills down the small boy's spine, and the crowd was plunged into darkness as the band rushed off stage.

Richie knew the time he had was limited, quickly chugging a bottle of water he'd been handed before running to find his manager backstage. "Mr. Barnes? Hey, I gotta really important quetion!" He ran up to the tall, older man, who looked down with a smile.

"Yeah, Rich?" He asked, scanning the boy's face.

"Can you find a way to get these kids backstage for me? They were in the front row, he had brown hair and freckles, with a friend. Right by center stage? Please?" He begged, noticing the crowd was starting to shout louder, signaling that he had to re-enter the stage soon. Mr.Barnes seemed to hesitate momentarily before he nodded, going to find the security guards.

Richie smiled and ran back onstage with the rest of the band, playing two more songs. "Thank you so much for having us, Maine! We can't wait to see you again, we'll be staying here for a few days, so if you get lucky, you might be able to say hi to us around town!" Richie smiled wide when the crowd cheered at that. The band tried to meet as many fans as possible, staying extra days in certain states they didn't go to often to give people chances to say hi. They loved making people happy.

Richie smiled when he noticed a security guard taking a concerned looking brown haired boy and his tall friend backstage, and the band rushed off for a final time. "Stan, my man, a little birdie told me we're gonna be meeting some cute ones in a few minutes." Richie smiled, elbowing the bassist as they drank more water.


	2. Chapter 2

Eddie felt panicked as the tall, broad man gripped his wrist tightly, pulling him and Bill over the fence that kept the fans back from the stage, pulling them towards the back. Fear bubbled in his stomach, mixing with the anxiety that constantly rested there.

He looked back at Bill with nothing but the emotion on his face, mouth open slightly as he was pulled back. Bill gripped his other hand, following closely behind as the two shared the same rapidly beating heart.

"You two got lucky. Richie's asking for you. You two just gotta stay in this room, and they'll come around when they're changed." The security man spoke, smiling at the two before shutting the door to the room they'd been lead to. Eddie looked over at Bill with wide eyes.

"I'm so confused, Bill!" Eddie mumbled, sitting down hesitantly on the couch in the room. It was small, but big enough for multiple people. "What did he mean?"

"I think he meant Richie was asking for us. Exactly what he said, Eddie." Bill looked over. He seemed stressed, the look on his face making Eddie feel bad.

"Sorry." He mumbled, looking down at the floor. The door to the room opened a few minutes later, and Eddie didn't think he'd ever be prepared to see Richie Tozier come through the door.

"Hey!" The tall boy smiled, running a hand through his curly hair as the rest of the band   
filed into the room. Soon, all four of them stood there. Richie, Stan, Mike, and Beverly all stood in front of them, and Eddie felt like he was going to pass out.

His anxiety seemed to skyrocket as he watched them stand there, looking expectant as he choked up on his breath. "Y-you-"

"Eddie, calm down." Bill whispered in his ear, putting a hand in his shoulder. Eddie jumped slightly. "You're really here, oh god."

Richie laughed, putting a hand on his chest as he nodded, "I sure am! What's your name?" He asked, smiling.

"I-I'm Eddie." Eddie smiled wide, finally taking in the reality of what was happening. He'd forgotten entirely that he'd just broken his new camera, completely absorbed in the fact that The Richie Tozier was standing in front of him.

"Well, Eds, I hope you don't mind hanging with us for a bit." He smiled, sitting down on the couch near Eddie. He nodded fast, eyes wide.

"S-sorry, I don't m-me-mean to sound rude or a-anything, but why d-did you guys call us b-ba-back?" Bill asked, looking at them. He fidgeted his hands in his lap from the spot next to Eddie on the couch.

"Well, I noticed that you were close to tears, and I wanted to, like, be sure that nothing happened, because I don't want anyone to be sad at our shows, you know?" Richie said, looking at Eddie, who remembered the broken camera in his bag. Eddie nodded a bit.

"I'm alright." He said softly, placing his hand on the bag. He bit his lip, trying not to think about how angry his mom would be when he came home with a broken camera and bruises from being pushed around the venue.

"What happened?" Stan spoke up, sitting next to Bill on the couch. Beverly and Mike sat in the chairs that sat near the couches, the room a nice, small hangout spot.

"I just dropped my camera, that's all." Eddie mumbled, looking down. "But it's fine, I'll get over it."

"Mind if I see it?" Richie asked a few minutes later, once Bill and Stan had started their own conversation and Bev and Mike joined in. The two sat on the other side of the couch, and Eddie nodded softly.

He pulled out the broken pieces of his camera, wincing slightly as a shard from the broken lens cut his finger, holding the pieces in his hand. Richie let out an audible wince, as if he was saying "yikes" with an awful lisp. Eddie sighed, looking down at it.

"That's really broken, ain't it?" Richie mumbled, gently lifting a few of the pieces. "Think someone could fix it somehow?"

"I'm not sure. Even if they could, it'd probably be way out of my price range and I don't really know if it's worth it to fix it or just get a new one." Eddie sighed, thinking about having to covert back to his nasty, old, outdated camera that took pictures that seemed as if they came from the 90s.

"Don't worry about it too much, Eds. Anywhore, do you want to get a picture with us? The band?" Richie asked the smaller teen with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

Eddie nodded, pulling out his phone and opening the camera app. The rest of the band came over, sitting around him on the couch as Bill snapped the picture, Eddie repeating the action for him. They hung out for a while more before a security guard came in. "Time's up."

Richie nodded and looked back at Eddie, a smile wide on his face. "Make sure to post those on instagram, Eds, I'll be like number one!" He grinned as Eddie stood, smiling. Eddie nodded and allowed the security man to grip his arm and pull him out of the room.

He stood in the parking lot moments later with Bill, furiously tapping at his phone, posting the picture and tagging the band. His heart raced in his chest when Richie Tozier was, in fact, the very first like. His smile grew when he noticed the comment 'It was a pleasure, Eds!' and he couldn't help but squeal when Richie reposted the image with the caption "Met some cute fans tonight! Hopefully I'll see more of you soon, Maine!"

He looked at Bill, who looked back with the same expression. "Bill, Richie just liked, commented, and reposted my picture!" He shouted at the taller boy, his grin growing.

"Eddie, Stan just liked, commented, and reposted mine too!"

And Eddie didn't think his night could get better, until he got the notification that @RichieTozierOfficial sent him a DM.


	3. Chapter 3

 

Eddie didn't want to shut his eyes that night, his phone next to his head as he rested on the floor of Bill's bedroom. It buzzed every now and then, Eddie flipping it over and texting back instantly after each sound. "E-Eddie, you need to s-sleep." Bill mumbled from up on his bed, face smushed against his pillow.

Eddie looked over, shaking his head. "You know I hardly sleep as it is, let alone if Richie Tozier is messaging me!" He smiled, typing in his phone again. Bill sighed.

"Wh-what are you t-two even t-ta-talking about?" Bill said, cracking one eye open enough to see Eddie's form in the darkness.

"He wants to meet up again tomorrow!" Eddie smiled wide, "Plus, Stan will be there." He smiled, knowing if he said that bit about Stan, Bill would instantly agree.

"W-wh-where at? Will your m-mo-mom be mad?" Bill asked, both eyes open now as he looked down at Eddie. Eddie shrugged.

"She's already mad, what do you really expect? But we're talking about where to go right now." Eddie said, and his phone buzzed again. "I suggested the mall downtown."

"Th-tha-" Bill sighed frustratedly to himself, swallowing thickly before continuing, "That's a good i-idea." Eddie sadly smiled.

"Have you been doing the thing?" He asked, referring to the rhyme Bill repeated that was meant to help his stutter. Bill sighed again.

"Of c-course I've been d-do-doing it." Bill mumbled, closing his eyes again. "D-don't think i-it works."

"Why would they have you do it if it doesn't work? It has to help a little, Bill, I've noticed it's not as bad as it used to be." He said, tossing his phone to the side and looking over at Bill. Bill shrugged one shoulder, keeping his eyes closed.

"Y-you need to s-sl-sleep, Eddie." He mumbled again, signaling the end of their conversation. Eddie sighed and plugged in his phone, pulling the blankets up.

"Goodnight, Bill, tomorrow we're going to meet up with the band at the mall." He mumbled a bit, closing his eyes and resting his head against the pillow.

"G-goodnight, Eddie." Bill said sleepily, Shifting slightly. Eddie didn't want to fall asleep, the phone next to him still buzzing. He slid his hand up from under the blanket and grabbed the phone, quickly texting Richie back.

-

Eddie wished he'd slept better that night when he woke up, bags under his bloodshot eyes. He sighed and ran his hand through his curly hair, groaning slightly.

"D-did you sleep?" Bill asked from on top of his bed. He was sitting up, leaning against the wall and scrolling through his phone, eyes peaked over the top to look at Eddie. Eddie shook his head.

"Couldn't." He mumbled tiredly, collapsing back on the makeshift bed. Bill let out a chuckle.

"Y-you could've told m-me, we have v-va-valium in the bathroom." He looked at him with raised eyebrows as Eddie let out another groan.

"Thanks, but I don't think it'll help me now." Eddie mumbled, closing his eyes again. "I don't need it anyway, I'm fine."

"Wh-when was the last t-ta-time you slept more than t-two hours?" Bill asked, shifting his eyes back to his phone. He already knew the answer to that question, it had been a long time.

"Bill, what do you want?" Eddie grumbled slightly. "I get it, I don't sleep, why is it such a big deal?"

"B-because you need s-sl-sleep to function, E-Eddie." Bill put his phone down, looking at the smaller teen on the floor. Eddie shrugged.

"Let's just get ready." Eddie said, rubbing his eyes and sitting up again, grabbing his bag of clothes that sat on the ground near the blankets that made his faux bed. "Wear something good, Bill, we're spending a day with the rich and famous!"

A smile broke out of Bill's face as he pushed himself out of the bed, going to his closet. "Wh-what you wearing, Eddie?" He asked, looking back at the other teen, who was furiously pulling clothes out of his bag.

"I can't find my Polo shirt, Bill." He pouted. "I thought I packed my light pink one." He continued to rummage through his bag, finding it at the very bottom and smiling. "I'm wearing this!" Bill smiled at his friend, pulling out a shirt and a pair of black jeans from his own closet and leaving the room to change.

Eddie took longer to change, stopping between putting on each article of clothing to check his DMS to see if Richie had messaged him back. He wasn't one of those people that needed an instant text back, but he felt antsy when it took people a long time.

He sat down on the chair at Bill's desk, tapping his fingers on the wood as he waited for his best friend to come back into the room, and upon his entrance, Eddie instantly jumped to the questions about Richie's lack of responses. "Bill, Richie's not texting back. Do you think they have other plans and can't come today?"

"Well, m-maybe he a-actually sleeps." Bill muttered, cracking a smile when Eddie grumbled something under his breath. He always picked on the younger teen for his horrible sleeping habits, or rather lack there of.

"Whatever, Bill. Let's just go eat."


	4. Chapter 4

If Eddie classified the night before as the most nervous he'd ever felt, the day he planned to meet with Richie at the Derry Mall completely bypassed it. The nervous feeling skyrocketed, making his hands shake consistently. "Y-You need to ch-chill." Bill had muttered to him while he nervously picked at him breakfast.

He looked up with a nervous expression and nodded. Nothing but nerves, nerves, anxiety, and more nerves.

But standing at the center of the mall by the fountain with Bill made those nerves grow. His hands shook where the hung loosely by his waist, biting his lip as he waited for the slightly older teen. His eyes scanned over the area, and he wasn't quite sure what he was even looking for. Maybe he was looking for Richie, the famous teen he was almost desperate to befriend, or maybe he was looking for Henry Bowers, the town's infamous bully that he was desperate to avoid. 

His eyes landed on Bill, the other nerve ridden teen that was typing furiously into his phone. "Bill, looks like you also need to chill." He mumbled with a small smile. Bill shook his head with a smile. 

"Th-they're late." He mumbled, looking over at Eddie. Eddie bit his lip and nodded a bit, already having noticed the time. "They're probably just caught up in traffic." 

The two stood there for about ten more minutes before Eddie heard a familiar laugh, and a few other laughs. He smiled softly when he looked over to the entrance, Richie standing with some teenaged girls that were snapping pictures quickly. It seemed like the rest of the band was farther behind him when he noticed the girls go back a bit towards the outside. 

He nudged Bill with a smile, making him look up from his phone and notice everything that was happening. "O-Oh, they're h-here now." He chuckled, walking over. Eddie followed him, smiling as they reached where Richie stood, still letting the fans take pictures with him. 

"Eds!" Richie shouted excitedly when he saw the short teen, gently moving away from the other fans and going over to Eddie, who's smile was still prominent on his face. "What's up, man?" He grinned wide, pushing up his thick glasses a bit. 

"Hey." He smiled wide, looking up at Richie. "Not much, you?" 

Richie let out a soft chuckle, "Nothing going on with me, expect I'm spending time with one of the best people." He grinned wide, peaking over Eddie's shoulder, "Bill!" 

Eddie pouted, even though the smile was still present on his face. Bill smiled over at Richie, "H-hey, Richie, my b-best friend!" He laughed as Richie threw his arm over his shoulder. 

"Sorry, Eds, Billy boy is my new best friend." Richie laughed, and Eddie shook his head with a fond smile.

"Let Bill know he's gonna need to find someone else to lend him gym shirts when he forgets them." Eddie smiled when Bill's eyes widened comically. 

"E-Eddie, you know I f-for-forget them all the t-ta-time!" Bill pouted and Eddie chuckled. 

After a few minutes of bickering about gym shirts and best friends, Stan, Beverly, and Mike had made their way over to the three boys. "What is going on here?" Stan asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Someone tell Bill that he's not Richie's best friend, he's mine." Eddie looked at the other three, a smile on his face. 

  
"Um, no, Richie, Bill is my best friend." Stan gasped, pulling Bill into a protective hug. Richie laughed and went over to Eddie, hugging him. "Then Eddie's mine!"

The six teens messed around for a few hours, bouncing from shop to shop as they picked out a few things. "Hey, guys, why don't me and Eds catch up to you at the food court?" Richie looked over at the rest of the group, who nodded. 

Eddie looked up, confused with what Richie had said, before Richie shot him a smile and pulled him into the small shop. Eddie looked around, eyes widening when he saw all the cameras and phones around him. "Richie, what are you doing?" 

"What kind of camera was the one you had, Eddie spaghetti?" Richie asked, looking at him with a small smile. Eddie's eyes widened and he shook his head quickly. 

"No, I can't let you buy me a whole new camera, Richie-" Eddie started, but Richie cut him off quickly. "C'mon, please? It's not a problem for me, I'm rich, Eds. Besides, it got broken at my show." 

Eddie hesitantly looked at the cameras and the prices, biting down on his lip. "A Canon Powershot.." He mumbled quietly, a blush spreading across his cheeks when Richie smiled and told the cashier what he wanted, pulling out his credit card. ''Thank you so much, Richie, I don't know how to repay you, I-" 

"Shh, it's fine, Eds." He smiled over at the short boy. Eddie blushed deeper, nodding slightly as the man behind the counter handed them the bag. He felt the smile burst across his face, making his cheeks hurt with the force of it. 

"Thank you so much, Richie, I honestly can't explain how much this means to me, seriously, how can I thank you enough?" Eddie looked up at him, eyes wide and filled with joy. Richie smiled just as wide. 

"It's thanks enough seeing you so happy, Eds, but if you wanna pay me back so badly, how about a date?" He grinned, and Eddie's eyes grew even wider. 

"A-a date? Like, as in, a d-date date?" He momentarily turned into Bill, a blubbering mess as he couldn't believe hiss ears. The Richie Tozier offering him a date. 

"You heard me, Eds." Richie smiled, his arm around Eddie's shoulders as the two walked towards the food court. "Yay or nay?" He chuckled. 

Eddie could only nod quickly, the answer a clear shot in his eyes. "Of course!" He smiled. 

"Good." He smirked and they made it to the food court, sitting down next to each other with their friends.

"Richie, did you get at dick?" Bev joked, laughing along with Mike as Eddie felt his face heat up. 

He just got a date with Richie Tozier. 

And a new Canon Powershot.


	5. Chapter 5

No chill Richie Tozier

Eddie laughed softly at the headline of the instagram account that'd just followed him, the bolder words standing out against the white screen background. "Richie, did you know that you have no chill?" He asked, looking over at the taller teen. Richie chuckled.

"Of course I knew that. I'm Richie Tozier, how could I have chill?" He laughed as he drove the car towards one of the nicer restaurants in downtown Derry. His hands gripped at the wheel carelessly, driving seeming like a simple task to the 16-year-old.

"How did you learn to drive so good?" He inquired, changing the subject from Richie's lack of chill to his driving skills. Richie just shrugged.

"I used to drive go-karts all the time, plus, Mario Kart also gets you some A-1 skill." He smiled, pulling into the parking lot. "Don't you know how?"

"No, my mom doesn't want me to drive." He said softly, the sudden realization that he hadn't called his mom since before the concert settled on him like a thick blanket. "Rich, can meet you inside? I just realized I should probably tell her I'm alive." He chuckled weakly, but he knew she'd be pissed. 

Richie nodded with a smile and got out of the car, going into the restaurant. He pulled out his phone, quickly calling Sonia.

"Eddie?!" Her voice rang through his ears, making him wince slightly.

"Hey, momma, I'm so sorry I haven't called, I've been so busy!" Eddie gushed, gripping the handle to the door of Richie's car.

"Eddie, you come home right now." She growled out, making Eddie wince again. "I'm sorry, ma, I can't, I'm doing some stuff tonight. I'll be home tomorrow, okay?"

"No, Edward, you get home this instant!" She screeched and Eddie quickly ended the call, letting out a long sigh, before he got out of Richie's car and walked into the restaurant.

He spotted Richie sitting at one of the tables, a smile on his face with his glasses perched perfectly on his nose. He let a smile cover his face, walking over to the table. "Sorry about that, Richie."

"It's all good, Eds." He smiled.

The rest of the night was uneventful, even as it itself was a huge event for the two teens. Richie couldn't have been happier, and Eddie couldn't have either. "Where do you want me to drop you off?"

"Bill's, please. Where you picked me up." He smiled. The two had gotten very comfortable with each other, and their contact names on their phones could prove it.

"No problem, Eds! Tell him I said hey!" He smiled wide as he skillfully drove with one hand, the other resting on the center council.

"I will, I think him and Stan are actually still out on a date of their own." Eddie chuckled.

"You go to his house when he's not there?" Richie raised his eyebrows, glancing over at Eddie. Eddie shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm really close with the whole family. Bill tells me I'm like his little brother, plus i call his mom 'mom' anyway." Eddie smiled, and Richie did too.

"That's cute." He smiled and pulled into the driveway, stopping the car.

Eddie smiled, turning to Richie. "Thank you for tonight, Richie, I had so much fun."

"Maybe well do it again soon." Richie smiled and Eddie felt a blush rise on his face.

"When do you leave Maine?" He asked softly, unbuckling his seatbelt.

"We leave tomorrow, but don't worry about that. You have my number, and I have a ton of money, going on a date with you while I'm on tour isn't going to be a problem." He smiled wide, watching Eddie. Eddie blushed even deeper.

"I'll see you later, Richie. I'll text you." He grinned as e got out of the car, waving at the older teen. Richie waved back, watching as Eddie made it into the house safely before pulling out of the driveway.

Eddie smiled wide to himself as he went to the living room. "Hey, Mom, Hey, Georgie!" He smiled as he sat on the couch next to Bill's real little brother. George smiled wide.

"Hi, Eddie!" He grinned at the older teen. He was a nine year old boy, all smiles and happiness. He looked up to Eddie, and it made the older kid blush and smile wide. (Once, he'd drawn Eddie in his family tree and it made Eddie cry.)

"How was the date with Richie, dear?" Mrs. Denbrough smiled over at the teen. Eddie smiled wide.

"It was so amazing! He's so nice, Mom." He smiled as George watched the TV, some show about dogs or something playing. Mrs. Denbrough smiled wide at this, waiting with them on the couch for Bill to get home.

He came in about as smiley as Eddie did, spilling all the beans about the fun he'd had with Stan. Eddie couldn't have felt happier, smushed on the couch between George and Bill. He smiled wide, listening to the stories.

"They're leaving tomorrow, though." Bill said sadly, sighing. Eddie nodded a bit.

"Richie said he's still gonna get dates with me. I'm not sure how. I hope he doesn't expect me to fly out, my mom would have a bird." Eddie mumbled, thinking about his overbearing mother at home.

"Shouldn't you go see her?" Bill asked, looking over at him. He tensed.

"I'm going tomorrow." He mumbled, looking at the floor.

"Our backdoor stays unlocked in those days, Eddie." Mrs. Denbrough said softly. She understood Eddie's home life better than Eddie did.

He nodded and Bill got up, saying he was going to bed. Eddie followed.

The makeshift bed was comforting, but Eddie didn't get any sleep, as per usual. The Valium Bill had mentioned called his name around four AM. His tired feet shuffled down the hall and towards the bathroom, a dim, flickering light buzzed on as he rummaged through the cupboards, finding the familiar bottle.

Dry swallowing the two pills, he shuffled back to the bedroom, and when his head hit the pillow this time, his eyes closed for the night, and he finally let sleep take over.


	6. Chapter 6

(Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy - a condition where a caregiver or family member exaggerates or induces a medical problems - mental or physical - to someone in their care to receive attention from it.) 

 

  
Eddie thought it was funny. 

He could be in his house for hours before his mother noticed his existence , and sometimes he could leave and it would take her hours to notice he was gone, but other times, she seemed up his ass the whole time. He wished in his head every day that he entered his house for his mother to be in the mood to leave him alone, even though the possibilities of that happening seeing as he'd been gone for four days were slim to none. 

His suspicions were confirmed when he opened the door, met by his mother rushing towards him. 

"Edward Kaspbrak! How could you just disapear like that and not call me?" She almost shouted, making Eddie flinch. He looked down. 

  
"I'm sorry, momma, I was just having a lot of fun, and then-" Eddie tried to explain what happened, only to be shot down by Sonia. 

  
"Stop, Eddie. Go to your room, and don't forget to take your medicine. You're grounded, and that means no leaving the house." She said sternly, eyes staring down at Eddie. He only nodded sadly, hanging his head like a kicked puppy and going up the stairs of his small home to his room. 

He hated when Sonia got this way, when she acted with her authority, sending him to his room or telling him he couldn't have dinner. He felt like a small child again when she got like that. He felt like the five year old Eddie that had no friends and spent all his time with his mother. 

  
Her Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy had always freaked him out a bit, even through he knew she couldn't help it, he still felt uncomfortable when her constant Facebook updates were centered around himself and his "bad" health. He didn't think he'd ever be used to the doctor's visits, or the pills she'd have him take. God forbid she knew he never slept, she'd have him on every damn sleeping pill available to the human race in ten seconds, followed by every other method for sleep she could find. He wondered what color the pills he'd be put on would be if she knew he was gay. 

The thought of his mother knowing there was actually something wrong with him made him shiver. He'd kept his sleeping problems and anxiety from the woman his whole life and he still somehow managed to end up taking Xanax for his relentlessly shaking hands. The memory of all his distant family's comments on her post of Eddie's new medication made him want to vomit. He remembered running to Bill's house and just crying for hours afterwards. 

Mrs. Denbrough understood better what was wrong with Eddie's mother better than he did, and when she'd explained it to the (fourteen year old - at the time-) boy, he'd just started crying again. 

But now, as he stared at the bottles of pills that rested on his nightstand that called his name, he felt weak under her power. She dictated the house. It had always been that way. She was the alpha, as he stood back and hung his head while she gloated about his "illness." He could only watch her parade him around while she soaked up the attention like a sponge, a fiend. 

Of course he didn't regularly think of his mother as a fiend, but the woman lived her life off her dead husband's savings instead of finding a job. Hell, she didn't even drive the car in her driveway. She leached off of other people's existences. 

Eddie hated it as he sat on his bed, phone tucked away at the bottom of his bag so she wouldn't notice he had it as he was meant to be grounded. He shivered as he looked out the window, seeing the sun begin to settle on the horizon. 

He wondered if she'd notice if he snuck out of the house, or if he snuck one of the snack bag of chips from the kitchen. Her punishment of "You're grounded" usually consisted of A. No dinner, B. No Phone, and C. NO CONTACT WITH ANYONE BUT ME.  

He sighed, laying back on the uncomfortable bed, and he'd rather be on the pile of blankets Bill had set up for him, but it wasn't really a choice of his when he heard the click of the lock on his door. 

He stayed there for a while before he got up to get his phone, scrolling through the abundance of notifications about likes on Instagram. He unlocked it and opened up Bill's messages. 

EDDIE- 'm grounded, Bill. Not sure when I'll be able to come over next, the door's already locked.

BILL- dude, please just come permanently live here with me. Mom probably would rather have you here than there too. 

EDDIE- You know I can't do that. Mom would actually kill me.

BILL- Eddie, what are you gonna do when she finds out you're gay? You don't think she's gonna try to put you on more pills? they can't be good for you.

EDDIE- I know they're not good for me, Bill, I constantly feel like shit, but there's nothing I can do about it now, is there?

BILL- Yes there is, it's called "move out and live with me"

EDDIE- it's not like she's abusive, Bill.

BILL- whatever, Eddie. Stop being so fuckin thick headed and open you eyes. my phone's always on for when you want to plot your escape.

  
Eddie tossed his phone, hearing it crack again when it hit the floor of his room. He didn't care, turning over on the bed and burying his face in the pillows. He was vaguely aware of his phone going off, but he didn't do anything. 

He held his breath for as long as he could, holding back tears as he waited for it to stop ringing. The suddenly annoying tune of his favorite song made him grit his teeth and clench his fists. "Stop trying to call me." He mumbled to himself angrily, as if that would make the tune stop. 

He got up, retrieving the phone and declining the call quickly. Eddie let his tears fall, legs giving out as he slid down the wall. He pulled his knees to his chest and sobbed. 

 

  
-

Richie stood, dumbfounded at the lack of responses from the short kid. He looked over at Stan, a worried expression on his face. "Stan, do you think he's okay?" 

"Bill said he needs time to calm down and to try him again tomorrow." Stan said, reading the text Bill had sent. Richie nodded, tossing his phone onto the table. 

Try again tomorrow.


	7. Chapter 7

Eddie regrets most of his decisions the next day, and damn, did he regret even coming home.

The teen woke up to a small glass of water and a tiny bowl of what could almost be fruit loops, but he knew better. He stared at it for several moments before swallowing thickly and lifting the bowl. He didn't need pesky water after so many years of consistently taking them.

He remembered the first time his mom made him dry swallow the pills. He was only taking about three back then, more pills being added to his collection every time he visited the doctor's office. They were on a road trip back from New York and she wouldn't let him drink soda, so she made him take them without a liquid.

He hated it, trying to conjure up as much saliva in his mouth as he could to take them, but they still felt stuck in his throat. He could feel them burning their way down his esophagus, half of him horrified that they'd burn through the fissure and leave him with a hole in his throat.

But now he could take a whole bottle without even needing the spit, used to downing them, much to his own dismay. He'd never get used to it.

The vitamins and the xanax and whatever the hell else he'd been prescribed became an everyday thing. No matter how many times Bill told him to stop taking them, because if anything, they only increased the anxiety and insomnia of the small teen.

He remembered hearing about Xanax in his health class once in 7th grade, and he asked his mom why he was taking pills that teens used to get high, and she had him pulled from the class. He duly wondered if he could even get high off his, considering he'd taken them for years and never felt anything except for a little bit more anxiety, increased insomnia, and a nasty headache that lead to dizziness on Mondays and Thursdays.

He knew he should've listened to Bill when those nasty headaches that lead to dizziness that only happened on Mondays and Thursdays started happening on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays (plus the occasional every other day of the week.) Bill was always right.

Bill was always right. His words always proved true when Eddie goes back and looks at old screenshots and texts, like when he said that the pills Eddie had been taking were bad for him. Eddie didn't want to believe that as a 12 year old who'd taken them his whole life, but after three months when he started jto lose weight after his new prescription, Bill was proved correct once again.

But now, sitting with the shattered phone on his bed with red eyes and a stuffed up nose, he just wanted to cry again. The pills weren't hard to take, he downed them with ease, He stared at the shattered phone and felt tears well up again.

After taking them in the morning, the drowsy feeling would settle in for the day about thirty minutes after. He grabbed the phone and quickly tapped Bill's contact, calling him.

Bill was a good friend, and even at the ridiculous hour of 8 AM , he picked up after two rings. "Hello?"

"I'm ready to plot that escape now, Bill." Eddie said softly, desperate to not cry.

"Call Richie back first." Bill mumbled sleepily, and Eddie's heart sank.

"Wh-what? Richie called me?" He mumbled sadly, those tears that he was desperate to hold back fell now, and he held his breath until Bill spoke again.

"Yeah, and you declined the call so he had Stan text me and ask if you were fine. I didn't tell him anything, just to give you time to chill yourself out." Bill said, and Eddie felt horrible. It wasn't a big deal, and he wondered if he would've reacted the same way if he didn't already feel the pills kicking in.

"O-oh. I'll call you back, Bill. I'm gonna make it fast. I can't stay here anymore." He said, eying his walls with salty tears burning their way down his cheeks. He heard Bill confirm his words, and he hung up, quickly drying his tears and calling Richie.

He held his breath as the rings echoed in his ears, anticipation killing him as the second ring came around. Three. Four. Five. Six.

Hey man, you've reached Richie's radical voicemail. I'm probably doing something cooler than ice, or I don't like you enough to pick up. I'll call you back if I remember!

He quickly hit the red button on his phone screen, his eyes filling up again. He sniffled and set his phone on the table next to his bed, laying back against the uncomfortable mattress.

He couldn't hear the footsteps around his door, but he heard the click of the lock clear enough to dry his eyes and sit up, hiding his phone. 

Sonia's head popped into the room, her cold, brown eyes scanning over him like she was Robocop or some shit. Eddie shivered. 

"I heard talking." She said simply. He shrugged. 

"It wasn't me, mom." He said softly, biting on his lip. She looked at him skeptically before stepping into his room fully. He gripped onto the sheets tightly.

"Did you take your pills?" She asked, looking at the empty bowl on the table an picking it up with raised eyebrows. "You didn't drink the water. That's a choking hazard, Eddie, you need to drink water with each pill and take them one at a time." She scolded him, and all he could do was stare.

Of course she found fault in him doing what she told him to do. She found fault in everything he did.

He nodded a bit as she took a few steps towards the door before she heard it. Eddie's heart sank when she turned around with wide eyes.

The tune of his favorite song slowly drifted from under the blankets.


	8. Chapter 8

Eddie wondered how long it'd been.

How long he'd been sitting in that position, not eating or sleeping or drinking or taking those fucking pills that the fat woman was desperate for him to swallow. He wondered if he'd ever even feel like moving again, or if he'd be forever stuck on the uncomfortable bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

He could only replay memories, having no chances to make new ones.

He could only think about when he went on that date with Richie a few nights prior, a better time when Eddie didn't particularly want to curl up in a hole and die. He could only think about hanging out with Bill, or the rest of Richie's band at the mall, having a good ass time. When his mother wasn't constantly on his mind.

But he couldn't stop her from invading his thoughts, maybe it was the hurtful words she'd spewed once she heard the phone ringing and yanked it from his shaking hands, glaring down as "Richie♡" blinked on the screen. Maybe it was the harsh sting of her hand against his cheek after she'd smashed the phone on the ground, breaking it just like his camera had been broken, her unruly black hair wild as she screamed at him.

He only cried because he lost the few pictures he had from the concert. The few pictures he managed to take after his camera was broken and Bill had been seperated from him. His picturess were gone, his memories. His fucking memories, and his friends, and Richie. All gone now.

He stared at the ceiling, hoping it would collapse. He wondered if his mother would love him then. Maybe she'd actually care if he was being crushed against his ned by the debris, maybe she'd actually love him if he couldn't breathe.

But he could breathe, and the ceiling hadn't collapsed on him. He was just stuck, no will to do anything. No will to move, or eat, or try to talk his mom into getting him a new phone. He wanted to leave, but he couldn't even move.

He wondered how long it'd last. How long he'd be sitting there until he moved or something made him move. Maybe Sonia would flip her shit again and make another bruise on his pale, freckled skin. Maybe Bill woukd come to his window, like in Harry Potter.

But he sat and sat until he felt himself on the verge of inanity, hands shaking slightly by his sides and he sat up, standing on unsteady legs. There was no light in the room, and finding the light switch was harder than he'd like to admit, but once he did, he'd made up his mind.

His bag was packed in a matter of minutes, the camera Richie bought him, all the clothes he could stuff in it (which was most of his closet,) anything else he'd need, and the last bit of money he had. His heart pounded in his ears as he could practically taste freedom, sliding open his widow and slipping out.

He swallowed thickly as he made his way to Bill's house as the sun set, his eyes scanning over his surroundings. He felt the stinging in his cheek again, and he figured the nerves of the situation were just making him like this.

His feet took him the shortest way possible to Bill's house, a walk a little less than twenty minutes. He could handle it, and as much as he wished he could've told Bill he was coming, he knew using the phone would alert his mother and he wouldn't be able to get out.

The lights were still on in the rooms, and Eddie remembered Mrs.Denbrough reminding him that the backdoor was always unlocked when he wasn't at their hour and smiled softly, making his way around the house. He toed off his shoes outside the door, to keep from getting their floors wet, and opened it slowly.

He didn't speak, only shutting the door behind him and locking it. He walked up to Bill's room, putting his bag down on the floor next to the makeshift bed Bill had laid out permanently, and wandered back downstairs to the living room where the whole family sat on the furniture.

Of course Georgie would be the only one on paying attention to the TV, spotting Eddie almost instantly. "Eddie!" He grinned wide, waving at him. Eddie offered back a smile, waving too. Bill looked over. and Eddie didn't think he'd ever seen someone's eyes widen o fast.

"Mom, we're going to be in my room." Bill said quickly, standing and going over to Eddie. She nodded, and the two quickly went up the stairs to his room. Bill locked the door behind him. "You disappeared for three days, Eddie! You weren't calling or texting any of us and we were all freaking out and now you show up with a bruise on your face! What did she do?"

"She found out about my phone." Eddie said in a quiet voice. "Started yelling at me, and, shit dude, i never thought she'd hit me."

Eddie felt his throat feel a little tighter as Bill hugged him tight, and he hugged back. "We were scared for you, Eddie."

Eddie wanted to respond, but his mouth felt like it was glued shut. He sniffled and let Bill hug him still, almost desperate for human contact that wasn't his mother.

"Richie was worried too. Did she break your phone?" Bill asked, pulling back, and Eddie nodded.

"Completely smashed. There's nothing left to it but crumbles of glass." He mumbled sadly. He looked at the floor, almost as if he was scared to meet Bill's eyes.

"You can text him off my phone for now. I can talk to mom tomorrow about getting you a new one and putting it on our plan." Bill said, handing his phone to Eddie. Eddie smiled softly and hugged him again.

"Thank you so much, Bill." He said softly. Bill just nodded with a smile.

That night, Eddie spent hours talking to Richie (apologizing for not texting or calling him back for so long) and didn't sleep a tiny bit. Of course the next morning he knew he'd regret that, but at the moment it didn't matter.

Richie- I want to go on another date with you, Eds. Stan wants to with Bill, also.

Eddie- I don't have the money to fly out anywhere, Richie ): I want to as well but I don't know how we'll be able to.

Richie- Are you completely forgetting that I'm fucking loaded?

Eddie- Are you completely forgetting that I'm not going to spend your money?

Richie- Mhmm, you can't deny it if it's already bought (;

Eddie-  Fuck you, Tozier.


	9. Chapter 9

Mrs.Denbrough, as per usual, was understanding and kind. The next morning, at the breakfast table, she informed Eddie that she'd be getting his new phone today and she'd look into getting another bed to put into Bill's room. "The floor is much too nasty for your back, Eddie, don't worry about it."

He'd smiled wide and thanked her probably about twenty nine million times.

"W-Was Richie mad?" Bill asked, referring to the lack of texts from Eddie. He shrugged.

"He didn't seem like it, but I didn't exactly explain. I just said something happened and I didn't have a phone anymore." Eddie mumbled, looking at his toes. Bill sighed.

"You'll h-ha-have to explain it to him s-so-sooner or later. It's k-kind of important." Bill said, eyeing Eddie as he looked up from his phone. Eddie looked up from his toes.

"It's not anymore. I'm done with her, Bill, I'm not going back." He said quickly, eyes red. Bill almost instantly reached over and hugged the smaller teen. "I can't go back there, and you know it Bill. She'd kill me, whether it be the pills or her not letting me leave my room or me just not being able to get out and doing what I just did again. The whole time I wasn't texting, I wasn't doing anything. I sat in bed and stared at the ceiling the whole time. But I can't tell Richie that."

Bill frowned and reached over to him, hugging him tightly. Eddie felt tears well up in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall, hugging him back. "Th-that's up to you. You d-do-don't have to tell h-him."

"I don't want him to think of me differently, Bill." Eddie mumbled, looking down a bit.

"I don't th-think Richie would d-do that, but it's your choice. You do you, E-E-Eddie." Bill smiled weakly, nudging him. "Just be h-happy, mom's getting you a s-se-seven so you'll be more upgraded th-than my six."

Eddie let out a laugh, "At least it's not the X! No one wants an X." He said through laughs, making Bill laugh too.

"You're right, n-n-no one wants an X." Bill chuckled.

"Also, we may or may not be going on dates soon?" Eddie said quickly, looking up with a shy, guilty smile.

"Eddie, what the fuck?"

-

Planes were not Eddie's strong point. Not at all. Definitely not after he watched Final Destination.

"Bill, I can't do this. I have to call Richie and cancel, I can't do this." Eddie panicked, eyes wide as he stared at the line forming to get onto the plane. His hands shook hard as he took nervous steps backwards until he bumped into Bill. "Bill I can't, I can't do this."

"Eddie, y-yes you can, it'll be o-okay." Bill put a hand on his shoulder, pushing him forward a few steps towards the line. He stumbled, almost falling. "B-be-besides, aren't you h-ha-happy to be going? We're l-literally going to New York C-City, and we're going to h-ha-hang out with our favorite b-band. I'm serious, dude, this is gonna be so f-fun once we get there. You can even share a h-ho-hotel room wth R-Richie!"

Eddie shook his head again, his hair messed up from his hands running through it worriedly. "I would rather drive, Bill."

"That's not an option, E-Eddie." He said, getting in the line. Eddie nervously stood beside him, tapping his foot against the ground as he gnawed on his bottom lip.

The lady at the desk checked off their tickets, letting them into the terminal. Eddie's fear only grew as he felt the noble flooring under his feet shake and move from the force of the wind outside. He swallowed thickly, passing his bag to one of the men that put them under the plane and took hesitant steps into the flying death trap after Bill.

Bill had a wide smile on his face, looking excited to be on a plane for the first time. Eddie wished he could feel the same.

They took their seats, Eddie's being the window one so he wouldn't have to sit next to a stranger. He nervously tapped his foot and drummed his fingers on his shaking knee as he glanced anxiously out the small window, watching as people in neon vests rushed about the runway.

"Bill, I need to get off." Eddie tried to stand, his nerves getting too much for him. Bill put his hand on Eddie's leg, keeping him down to the seat.

"Eddie, sit d-down. You can't. Buckle up, we take off in ten m-mi-minutes." And with that, the seatbelt was tightened almost unreasonably tight around his hip.

The flight attendants went through their short safety spiel as the plane pulled away from the terminal, gaining speed down the long runway. Eddie gripped the arm rests righty, eyes squeezed shut as he whispered "its all good" repeatedly under his breath.

The second the wheels were off the ground and the nose of the plane was pointing up, Bill looked over at Eddie. His eyebrows raised. "Are you a-alright?"

Eddie whipped his head over, tears running down his face as he looked purely horrified. "N-no." Eddie managed to stutter, screwing his eyes shut again as the feeling of being pressed into his seat made his stomach churn. Bill put his hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down.

Once the plane settled a bit, flying normally, Eddie calmed down significantly. He still gripped the armrests incredibly tight and made a small sound every time they hit turbulence, but he could open his eyes and talk normally to Bill without any issue if the plane was flying smooth.

Landing was just as intense for Eddie as taking off, fear striking him deeply every time a bump or bounce jolted the aircraft. His hands eventually stopped shaking when the plane got to a stop, and he'd never stood up so fast in his whole life. "Thank God, get me the fuck off this thing."

Bill chuckled and the two exited the plane just like they entered it, taking their bags at the pick up section. Eddie felt his stomach churn again, but this time, it was pure excitement. He'd turned on his phone to about a million and three texts from Richie about where they were and how many fans were taking photos with him. Eddie just smiled.

"Bill, Rich told me they're by a subway? I don't know where anything is here." Eddie stressed, running a hand through his messy hair again, (even though he quickly straightened it out so he'd look good for Richie) and groaning. "What if we never find them and get lost in this airport forever?"

"Sh-shut up, Eddie." Bill grumbled, wheeling his bag behind him as he looked around for the band. Eddie nodded sadly, looking down. Bill instantly felt bad. "I'm sorry, just stressed out. I'm not used to this either."

But it didn't take long for them to wind up face to face with the band, Richie hugging Eddie tight and Stan doing the same to Bill. "Welcome to New York, Eds!"


	10. Chapter 10

 

Eddie wished he could be as carefree as the others as they bounced down the street, Bill swaying his hand that was linked with Stan's as they made their way to the hotel room, but he couldn't tear his mind off of his life in general.

He couldn't tear his mind off the fear of his mother and what was going to happen with that situation, and he could keep it off the sudden lack of pills that used to weigh a ton in his bags. He couldn't help but wonder how long it'd take him to go insane from quitting them cold turkey.

Maybe Sonia would give up, and finally let Eddie be a normal, happy teenager, but he heavily doubted it. He wished that was how his life went.

He wondered how long it would taker her to do something about it, or maybe she already was. Maybe she was already putting "MISSING" posters up around town, and deriving attention from Facebook. She could already be knocking on doors and asking around town if anyone had seen her precious Eddie-bear, because he'd never run away, no, something really bad must've happened to him!

  
Eddie just gripped Richie's hand a little tighter as he looked around at the bright lights of the city streets. People rushed past them, brushing against their shoulders as they hurried down the streets, some of them hailing bright yellow cabs or catching long busses as the sky turned darker and darker while the sun shone somewhere else.

"How many times have you been to the city?" Eddie asked Richie as they continued to make their way to the hotel, Eddie and Bill almost dead on their feet from exhaustion.

  
"A few." Richie smiled wide. "Enough to know where all the important things are." Eddie chuckled at this, smiling while the lively city continued to rush on. "I also know where to get the good pizza, Eds,trust me."

"Richie, shut up, you're the only one here that likes New York style. Everyone else likes normal pizza." Stan shouted over his shoulder, and Richie faked a hurt expression.

"Why must you publicly embarrass the only New York style pizza lover in New York?!" He shouted dramatically, running a hand through his hair. Eddie only smiled as the two argued over pizza.

The hotel they ended up at was enormous, and Eddie's face paled at the sight. "Richie, oh my God, how was this not thirty million dollars?!"

"That's not a hotel price love, maybe a house price though." Richie said, pulling Eddie in with a smile. The lobby was huge, white with crystalline chandeliers dangling from the ceiling. It made Eddie almost feel sick.

There was too much for him to handle, the big area being filled with pristine furniture and rich people hanging around. Eddie wouldn't be surprised if one of them had caviar in his hand.

The front desk wasn't too intimidating, or maybe that was just the comfort Eddie derived from Richie's arm that was slung almost firmly across his shoulders. He leaned closer, shuffling alongside the rich teen. Beverly was the one that retrieved the keys, handing them to Richie and Stan.

Richie smiled, leading Eddie down the hallway with the others and towards their room. He stared at things they passed with wide eyes, in awe by all the stuff that adorned the expensive hotel.

Eddie's eyes widened even more once they got into the hotel room, the large bed taking up less than a fourth of the huge room. He gripped the strap of his bag a bit tighter, staring ahead at the room. "Like it?"

"I love it, Richie, this is so fucking huge!" Eddie grinned as he turned to Richie, who was smiling wide. "This is bigger than my whole house!" He put his bag down, wandering around the room.

"Too bad we won't spend much time here. We've got places to go and things to do, Eds!" Richie smiled even wider, putting down his own bags. "Tomorrow we have to go to an interview and a concert at night, and you don't have to worry about that. You've got backstage and I've got you covered for the interview. During the day we can do whatever though." Richie sounded almost dismissive, shrugging and throwing himself onto the large bed with a smile. 

"What?" Eddie choked out, eyes impossibly wide as he stared at the lounging teen. "B-backstage to your show? And I come to the interview?" 

"Of course, Eds, I wouldn't just leave you all alone in this huge ass city, so you just gotta come to them with me. The interviews are usually boring though, I'll tell them not to ask you any questions if you're not comfortable." Richie said, sitting up now. He pushed his thick glasses up his nose a bit, smiling. "They get kinda nosey sometimes." 

  
"Richie, Richie, hold on, you mean to tell me that I'm going to be in an interview with you band?" Eddie stared at him incredulously, wide eyes raking over his face as if that would make Richie say he was lying. 

"Um, yeah? It's not too big of a deal," Richie started, but Eddie cut him off with a noise. 

"Not a big deal? You're only in one of the most popular bands in the world right now, Richie, with millions of fans, and you mean to say that a 16 year-old fan from Derry is going to be at an interview with you?" Eddie said, eyebrows raised as he stared at Richie, who had a wide, goofy smile. 

"So I take it that you don't want them asking you questions?" Richie made a suggestive face, tilting his head to the side and squinting slightly. Eddie tugged at his hair, shaking his head as he sat next to Richie. 

"I don't care if they ask me questions or not, I just don't want a lot of them." He mumbled, leaning back against the headboard. "I'm just tired. Is Bill going to be there?" 

"Yep. How about you get some rest so you don't snap at the interviewer tomorrow?" Richie joked, smiling as Eddie got comfortable on the bed. "Also, you're still in your day clothes." 

"I don't care. Night, Richie." 

"Goodnight, Eds."


	11. Chapter 11

 

Eddie silently wished that he told Richie that he didn't want the questions to be asked. The interviewer, who was supposed to be asking the band questions, not him and Bill.

But she did, firing off questions at Bill first, and Eddie wasn't sure he'd ever be prepared for them to be targeted at him. "How close are you to the band?"

He looked up, meeting her eyes and swallowing thickly. "I-Um pretty close, I guess? We've hung out." He answered shyly, sinking back into the couch a bit. He noticed Richie's hand twitch in his lap, and Eddie wished that he would just curl up against his side or at least hold his hand to settle his nerves.

"And your name is Eddie, right? Do you have any musical talent?" She asked, sitting forward in her seat. Eddie felt sick.

"Yeah, my names Eddie." He answered, trying to break out of his shell of anxiety. "I wouldn't say I have any talent. I used to sing in chorus at school but I wasn't too good."

"Well, how does it feel to be around Richie? He can sing well, obviously." She said, and if Eddie was blind, he wouldn't have missed the obvious flirting towards Richie she was doing.

"He's really nice, sometimes it's good to see people for who they are instead of focusing just on what they can do well." Eddie responded honestly, putting his hands between his bouncing knees to stop them from shaking. He felt eyes on him, one pair burning and the other making him feel warm in a good way.

"I see. Anyways, what about your relationship statuses?" Richie almost groaned at the question. Every single interview they were asked the same boring question, "Are you single or taken?" and it made him want to punch the interviewers every time.

Beverly and Mike both responded with their usual "single, sadly." and Stan had the honors to announce that he was taken, but Richie? Richie didn't know what the fuck he had.

"I'm not sure. Kinda seeing someone?" He responded, pushing up his glasses, and Eddie felt his heart race in his chest.

The most and now irritated interviewer continued to ask her questions until the time was up for her and the microphone was given to the fans that sat in the crowd, something they only did in big city interviews. Eddie could've been plenty happy without the fan's questions.

"Do you plan on adding members to the band?" One small girl said, words hardly reaching their ears. Richie smiled, thinking about it shortly.

"We haven't really thought about it, but maybe? The bigger the better, am I right?" He chuckled, looking over at his hand mates who nodded happily. Richie smiled, showing off white teeth at the fan.

The microphone was passed around, reaching fan after fan. "Richie, Richie, Richie!"

It was always Richie they asked the questions to, and maybe it was because he was obviously the most outgoing, or because Mike and Stan rarely said much in response to questions. Maybe it was purely because Richie was a clear favorite of fans.

Eddie expected the fans to stay solely to the band, completely taken off guard when he heard his own name. "Eddie, how are you doing?" The fan asked genuinely, and it made him smile.

"I'm great! I hope you are too." He smiled and almost missed the whole crowd breaking out into a chorus of 'Aww's. He watched as the fans discussed who'd ask the next question.

"How old are you, Eddie? Where are you from?" They asked, eyes shinning and Eddie blushed. He was lowkey scared of the questions being asked , but the rest of the band seemed pleased at the fan's responses.

"I'm 16 and I'm from Maine." He smiled again. The day in the interview continued, questions being asked to all six of them onstage. Soon it ended, the band +2 being escorted offstage and into the bus that pulled around back.

Eddie cringed at the amount of fans that swarmed them as they tried to leave, feeling almost entirely panicked as the teens rushed in. Richie shot him a worried look when he saw Eddie start to look a little pale. He felt his heart rate pick up in his chest, the familiar feeling of lacking air in his lungs hitting him like a ton of bricks.

He pulled ahead of them, pushing his way onto the bus and gripping his inhaler tight in his hand, taking a puff off it and letting his lungs fill up with the mixture of medicine and air. He sighed slightly to himself, sitting on the couch with his head between his knees. He kept his grip on the plastic piece, not sure if he'd need it again any time soon.

He heard someone getting on the bus and looked up, Bill stopping like a deer in headlights. "Eddie!"

Eddie flinched at the sheer loudness of Bill's currently stutterless voice, closing his eyes as Bill got next to him. "Are you okay? You haven't used your inhaler in forever, man." He said, hand on Eddie's back. Eddie shook his head.

"Too many people rushing at me, I didn't like that at all, Bill." Eddie said softly, eyes staying shut as Bill rubbed his back.

"It's okay, Eddie. I know it's a lot." He said softly, letting Eddie relax until Richie and Stan came into the bus.

Richie's eyes widened behind his glasses when he saw Eddie on the couch. "Eds, oh my God, are you okay? What happened?"

"Just too many people running at us. " He responded quietly, putting his inhaler back into his pocket. "I haven't needed that inhaler in years."

"You still carry it with you though?" Richie asked, curiously spilling from his mouth. Eddie nodded, looking up at him. "Long story for a later time."

Richie nodded and sat on the other side of Eddie, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy and pulling him close. Eddie let it happen, resting soundly against Richie's side.

They didn't care that they had plans to walk the city, because they were satisfied just chilling on the couch in the tour bus.


	12. Chapter 12

****

Eddie should've known that eventually, drama would arise from his friendship with the band, and his not-really-relationship with Richie.

But it wasn't really something he could avoid after his third day in New York with them, on another date with Richie. The whole trip left Eddie ecstatic and smiley, nothing bad happening after the little incident after the interview. Richie was amazing at the concerts, and Eddie couldn't help but notice the looks he gave him while he performed, and he was quite sure the fan's cameras caught them too.

"Who is Richie Tozier's secret love interest?"

Eddie almost cried when he saw the name of the article, forgetting for a minute that Richie had reminded him multiple times that the only "Secret Love Interest" was him and no one else. He read through it, smiling when he saw the lovesick look on Richie's face from the concert pictures.

His secret love interest wasn't as much of a secret when the pictures of them at a restaurant leaked on Twitter and Instagram just as they left the very place the pictures had been taken. Richie always had his notifications off for that kind of stuff, but Eddie almost cried when he noticed all the people following him at once. "Richie?"

"Yeah, Eds?" He asked, a smile on his face as they sat down on a bench at Central Park a few minutes after they left. Eddie held up his phone, making Richie stop and look at it.

His smile was overtaken by a firm frown, and he pulled out his own phone, reading through the Tweets and looking at the pictures. "Someone got pictures of us at the restaurant. They think we're dating." He said, pocketing his phone with a sigh. Eddie felt panic flare up in his bones.

"Richie, what does this mean? Shit, we're not gonna be able to hang out, are we?" Eddie felt his heart close to breaking, eyes filling with salty tears as the thought of being left alone swarmed his head. Richie shook his head quickly, grabbing Eddie's hand.

"I'm not going to leave you because of the fans, Eds. Besides, management really doesn't care, like I said, and they won't get mad at us for being together. I promise it's not going to change us." Richie said honestly, still holding Eddie's hand. Eddie wiped his eyes with his free one, smiling softly.

"We're moving really fast." Eddie said softly once he was relaxed more, head leaning against Richie's shoulder. "It's not bad, I just feel like I know so much about you but you don't know much about me."

Richie smiled softly, letting his arm settle across Eddie's shoulders. "So tell me. Also, don't pull that 'what do you want to know?' shit because I want to know everything about you."

And that's exactly what Eddie told him. Everything from his mother to his old medicine to Henry Bowers, and hell, all the way down to when he became friends with Bill. Story after story spilled from his lips, like a waterfall that no dam could even dare to hold back. He just let the words fall out, hoping silently that Richie's view on him wouldn't change.

"Eddie, This doesn't change anything either. If anything, it makes it better. I'm so glad that you told me this." Richie said with a smile, an Eddie smiled too. He realized how much of Richie was covered up, how kind he was and how his jokes weren't constantly being thrown about when Eddie was around.

Eddie smiled and leaned against him a little more. "So you don't care about the publicity?"

"Nah, we're not together yet and we know that so that's what matters. Let's just let it play out, Eds, it'll be fine."


	13. Chapter 13

 

Eddie wished he would've listened to Richie.

Instead he found himself on the floor of the bathroom, sobbing into his knees as he tried almost desperately to forget the words he'd read on the iPhone 7 screen.

You don't deserve him.

He's using you.

He wished he would've listened when Richie told him to ignore the comments and Dms he recieved. But he didn't.

He's too good for you.

Richie doesn't care about you.

He let his finger hover over the message requests button with an astounding 78 next to it, pressing down hesitantly. 52 messages later, his hands shook too much for him to be able to press the correct thing on his phone screen and the tears fell uncontrollably from his bleary eyes.

He should've just listened to Richie. He found that to be something he did often. He made a decision and regretted it not thirty seconds later.

But he couldnt change his choice while he felt his hands shake as another sob ripped it's way through his throat. Eddie curled himself up on the bathroom floor, back pressed against the wall as his head dropped into his lap, hands over the back of his head.

The bad outweighed the good, and Eddie wished the world wasn't like this.

He wished the world didn't seem to conspire against him. He wished people treated him like he was human and had feelings.

But the world didn't care as the familiar anxiety rose inside him, making him want to cry even harder. The sound of the running shower drowned out the sounds of his cries , his hands gripping his hair tightly as he rocked slightly back and forth on the floor.

He felt like he couldn't breathe, chest closing in on him and air being sucked from his lungs viciously as more sobs found their way tumbling through his lips. They filled the room, echoing off the tiled walls to be met by more, merging into loud sounds.

Eddie wondered if Bill could hear.

But Bill's ability to hear his desperate cries wouldn't stop them from coming and expressing themselves because Eddie wasn't good enough for Richie. Eddie wasn't good enough and Richie didn't care, so the sobs just tumbled out because they didn't care either.

Sobs didn't give a single fuck, and Eddie didn't either after the first one spilled from the chapped lips and it bounced off the way. Not satisfying in the least, but better than holding them back and feeling them claw his throat raw.

It was better until the knock on the door abruptly ended his loud cries, hands stopping their vicious grasping against his hair as he shot his head up, staring at the door with burry vision. "Y-You okay in there?"

"Yep!" Eddie quickly responded, hoping his voice didn't sound as broken as he felt.

"H-Hurry up, m-mom's taking us out to e-eat." Bill said, and Eddie responded with a simple 'alright' before he was left alone again.

He always found himself alone. And at the end of the day, he'd always be alone in one way or another. Whether it be alone in bed, or alone in his mind, he was lonesome anyhow.

Eddie soon became accustomed to the loneliness.

But his hands ran through his hair in a different way now as he forced the soap from the dark strands, and he felt less alone knowing outside the door to the bathroom, Bill, mom, and George stood waiting for him to be ready to go out to eat. He hurried up in the shower, hoping his eyes didn't look to red and quickly got dressed, pocketing the phone he'd turned off, before leaving the bathroom.

Bill sat at the table with a smile, talking to Georgie about something while the kid grinned wide, and Eddie joined them until Mrs.Denbrough came into the room. "Ready to go?"

And sure, dinner was nice, but at the end of the night, Eddie found himself alone on the bed she'd bought for him.

He always felt alone.


	14. Chapter 14

"Alrighty, my musically talented friends, it's time to do something that our sucky band as been avoiding for a while - pick some more members to join us!" Richie said, standing beside his band happily. They stood in front of several others, all with various instruments, and it vaguely stressed the fuck of out him.

Richie happily ordered them into groups, where they would play a song and the whole system just worked out in Richie's confusing little head.

His head somehow wrapped around the various groups and instruments and he picked out the very best for the snazzy callbacks, and at the end of his elaborate system, a chubby teen known as Ben Hanscom stood in front of them with a wide smile and a hardly-holding-on acoustic guitar.

"Welcome to the band, Haystack!" Richie grinned as he clapped the teen on the back, making him stumble forward a few steps. He didn't seem to mind, though, as a smile grew on his face and Richie knew that he'd made the right choice. "I'm assuming you know us and our names?"

Ben nodded simply, the smile still present on his face. "Beverly, Stan, Mike, and Richie." and Richie appreciated him ten times more than half the other candidates when his own name wasn't the first to leave Ben's mouth.

He wasn't sure how long after, but for a while they just talked, simple words about whatever the conversation had become being tossed up in the air. Richie noticed that Ben laughed a lot, a very feel good kid, and it made him happy that he'd picked Ben over the other candidates.

Richie was picky. It wasn't technically a good trait, especially when the things he was picky about involved over people. He couldn't stand certain things, and he couldn't stand lack of some things, and he was lucky that Ben fell in the perfect equilibrium (Just like Eddie, but he wasn't even going to start about how perfect he was) and he wasn't a dick.

The rest of the band let him have the authority, truly because they knew if they had a problem with what Richie was doing, they could just tell him.

Richie- EDS

Richie- EDDIE SPAGHETTI

Richie- EDWARD CULLEN

Eddie- Eddie*

Eddie- Yes, Richie?

Richie- We've done it. We've picked one of the best candidates possible for our band position. I mean, I wish you could be in it, but Ben's the next choice.

Eddie- I'm sorry I have no musical talent, Rich, I think I'd actually kill your fans if I sang for them.

Richie- Hmm, most likely that's incorrect, but we'll see, my dearest Spaghetti friend. I gotta go, we're going to eat some pizza. I'll talk to you soon! 


	15. Chapter 15

Just as Eddie had originally feared, the amount of comments and dms kept rising day by day. He found himself turning his phone off and telling Richie he was busy much more than he wanted to, hoping that pushing him away would make the dms and comments stop.

Bill's sadness for Eddie became mixed with irritation following Richie's relentless texts.

Richie- Hey Bill? Is Eds good?

Richie- Billlll

Richie- It takes three seconds to text me back a yes or no. I'm worried about my spaghetti friend.

Bill- I'm sorry , Richie , Eddie's got his phone off right now. He's just going through some shit.

Richie- Oh, Alright! Let him know I said hey!

Bill- Will do, Rich!

But Richie had his own suspicions about what was occurring. His fingers moved before he could stop himself, tweeting simply "Nothing personal, but If you're a real fan, you wouldn't bully our friends."

He regretted it as soon as he tweeted it.

All the retweets and replies, and he wanted to turn off his phone as well. Management wouldn't be too happy about that.

Beverly was the one to come into his room and give him hell for the cryptic tweet. "What the fuck, Richie? Are you trying to start shit and make us lose fans?" She shouted, and Richie didn't even flinch.

"No, I'm not, but I'm not going to sit here and pretend I don't see all the bullying that's happening on Eddie's instagram pictures! I don't stand for bullying, Bev, you know that." He said, tossing his phone onto the bed. Beverly softened almost immediately.

"Management isn't going to be happy." She said softly, a frown on her face. Richie shook his head.

"Fuck management. We don't need them. If they drop us, you know how many other companies would be paying millions to snatch us up?" Richie responded.

But Eddie, even though he couldn't hear Richie talking, was thankful for the tweet Bill showed him. Bill had this silly hopeful look on his face, and it made Eddie smile softly. "Thanks for Richie." He said softly, and Bill laughed. "I miss him."

"Let's g-go see th-them. We can s-su-surprise them!" Bill smiled, shooting out of his chair in excitement. Eddie's eyes widened.

"We can't, Bill, we don't have the money!" Eddie frowned, furrowing his eyebrows. Bill only smiled.

"I c-ca-can tell mom we're taking Ju-Georgie on a trip and she'll g-give us the money to g-go! Seriously, E-Eddie!" Bill grinned and grabbed his phone. Eddie shook his head.

"What about actually taking care of Georgie? If we go, who's gonna watch him when we're out with the band?" But Eddie's questions were disregarded as Bill rushed out of the room, calling for his mom and running down the stairs.

He sighed, following in Bill's tracks silently. He stared ahead as Bill tried to convince his mom to let her take George on vacation, and to pay for it, and Eddie felt dizzy, but before he knew it, he could hear Mrs.Denbrough going through a list of rules for the boys.

As nervous as the situation made Eddie feel, the look on Bill's face was worth it. So was the look on Georgie's face. The brothers' eyes lit up and smiles spread across their faces, and weak little Eddie couldn't deny that he felt excited for the upcoming trip.

Eddie knew it was luck being added to the situation when Richie said something about a break in Chicago so they could get used to Ben and start working on new music when his phone turned back on. He smiled at the texts.

"Bill? I can't wait to surprise Richie."

Bill smiled, just as excited as the smaller teen. 


	16. Chapter 16

George was ecstatic for the trip, but he wasn't too excited for the plane flight.

He felt nerves weave through his stomach as he watched Bill and Eddie fight through the crowds of the busy terminal, holding onto Eddie's hand in fear of getting separated from them. Eddie only stayed quiet as he followed Bill, gripping Georgie's hand in one of his own and his suitcase, phone, and plane tickets in the other.

"Flight 392 is now boarding." The emotionless voice of one of the workers rung through the terminal, and George could hear his brother's panicked groan as they sped up.

"Slow down, guys! You're goin' awful fast!" Georgie called after his brother, who respectively slowed down a bit and let out a sigh of relief. Georgie assumed they'd reached the proper place as they got in  line and Eddie let out little puffs of breath, his chest moving fast.

After standing in a line for an agonizingly long period of time for the kid, they finally got their tickets checked and made their way down the terminal. "This is a really long tunnel!" Georgie grinned as they continued to walk, suitcases making noise, dragging behind them.

"It sure is, isn't it?" Eddie responded, smiling as they passed their luggage down to put it in the under compartments.  They made their way to their seats, and Georgie felt panicked as the seats didn't correspond.  "Don't worry, Georgie, I'll ask to switch with them." Eddie responded to his panic.

They seats were switched, and Eddie sat beside  George, who'd asked for the window seat to watch the sky. Eddie let him, a smile on his face as Georgie looked out the window. "You nervous?"

"N-no." Georgie replied quietly, and Eddie smiled softly. "It's okay to be nervous. The first time I flew, I think I actually cried and that was less than two months ago." Eddie smiled and told him.

Georgie looked up with wide eyes. "Really?" He asked softly, and Eddie nodded. "Besides, flying is still pretty scary for me."

And even though George did cry a little during take off, he enjoyed the rest of the flight, and before he knew it, they were landing in the O'Hare airport in Chicago. Eddie pulled out his phone, texting Richie.

Eddie- What are you doing in an hour, Richie?

Richie- We're going to this pizza place down the road from the hotel. Why?

Eddie- Wanted to Facetime you ):

Richie- You still can! it'll be like you're with us!

Eddie- Okay!

Eddie smiled and tucked his phone into his pocket, waiting for the plane to empty. They left, grabbing their stuff and taking a cab to the hotel, dropping their luggage off. "I'm gonna facetime Richie and see if he can tell we're coming." Eddie told Bill, smiling.

Georgie looked up between them. "What about me?" He asked, and Eddie smiled. "You'll come with us, of course! The band is gonna love you."

And George smiled wide as they left the hotel, Eddie facetiming Richie.

"Hey, Eds!" He grinned, splotchy camera quality of his face making it hard to identify. Eddie smiled.

"Hey, Richie! What's up?" He asked again, even though he knew. Bill stood next to him, holding Georgie's hand as they walked down the street.

"We're at the pizza place. I think it's called Luigi's or something, I dunno, but it was a Mario character so we had to come!" Richie grinned, and Bill typed it into is phone's GPS.

The two teens chatted away on the phone and Bill navigated through the busy streets of Chicago, smiling in anticipation. "Eds, why are you outside?" He asked, and Eddie only smiled wider.

He didn't respond as George pointed at the pizza place, smiling. "Billy, Eddie, it's right there!" He grinned and Richie looked confused.

"Eddie, what the holy hell is happening? We're are you?" He asked, looking confused. Eddie hung up the call, tucking his phone into his back pocket as he grabbed George's hand and pulled him after Bill and himself as they rushed into the pizza place, smiling wide.

The little bell above the door jingled and Eddie saw Richie before Richie saw him, smiling and walking fast to the table. Beverly was the first to see them, smiling but playing it off like she didn't know what was happening. Richie's back was to Eddie, and Eddie let go of Georgie's hand to hug Richie.

Richie jumped, letting out a screech as he turned his head as best as he could. "Who the fuck- EDDIE!"

George smiled as he watched Eddie and his brother hug the people in front of them. When they pulled away, Eddie was quickly pushed into a seat by Richie, who sat next to him just as fast. Eddie waved at Georgie to come sit on the other side of him, and he smiled, sitting down next to Eddie.

Richie smiled over at Georgie, eyes glimmering with happiness. "Hey, I'm Richie, you must be Georgie?" He asked, sticking out his hand for the younger boy to shake. Georgie did, smiling. "Hi, Richie! I am Georgie!"

Bill laughed at him, smiling as they finished up the food. "Anyway, Ben! This is Eddie, Bill, and Georgie!" Beverly smiled, introducing them. They got along pretty well, Ben fit in to the group like he'd been there all along, and Eddie was content.

Eddie was fine.


	17. Chapter 17

As happy as Eddie was, spending time with Richie in Chicago, Georgie all smiles and Bill enjoying his time with Stan, he still felt a nagging feeling nip at his heals.

He was running from it, and he didn't even know what it was.

And he woke up sad on the morning he was going to go back to the airport. He yawned, Georgie already awake and packing up with Bill. "Morning, Eddie!" Bill smiled and tossed him his fully charged phone. "We're going out to eat for breakfast with everyone this morning before we go to the airport."

Eddie nodded, and pulled himself out of the hotel bed. He wished he could say he was happy to be spending the time with Richie, but he felt overwhelming sadness swallow him whole.

Breakfast was nice, but Eddie wasn't really hungry when all he could feel was the sadness and dread hanging over his head. He wanted to be happy, but it felt like something was going wrong.

His suspicions were only confirmed when he got a call from Bill's mom at the breakfast table.

He stood up, excusing himself to take the call and sadly letting go of Richie's hand. He held his cell phone to his ear, walking to the front of the restaurant to hear her. "Hello?"

"Eddie? Listen, you should probably stay in Chicago for a few more days. Bill and George can stay too if they want, but-" She cut herself off and Eddie frowned.

"What? Why?" He asked, sounding vaguely panicked.

"Sonia is trying to get the police involved, Eddie. She thinks we've kidnapped you, and if you're not here when they search our house, I think it'll be a bit easier." She responded sadly and Eddie instantly felt guilty.

"I-I'm so sorry for pulling you guys into this mess," Eddie frowned deeply, feeling his hands shake while tears built up in his eyes., "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Denbrough-"

"Eddie, it's fine. Just tell Bill to give me a call. I'm sure George won't mind staying a few extra days, but I'm worried about you. You even know that going back to Sonia is not an option." Her voice rang through his ears, and Eddie felt like he was going to break down right there.

"Y-yeah, I know. I'll tell Bill. Thank you..." Eddie trailed off, and after she said goodbye, he let the phone almost slip from his fingers as he tucked it into his hoodie pocket.

He made his way to the bathroom before he went back to the table, wiping at his eyes furiously and willing himself to not show his sadness to the others. He took his spot next to Richie again, gripping his hand tight. "Bill, mom wants you to call her." He said softly, and Bill nodded.

Bill nodded but that wasn't the point. There wasn't one at all, actually.

Eddie felt empty as he stared at his cup of coffee in front of him, mind swarming with thoughts about what was going to happen. Would the Denbroughs get in trouble? Would the police raid their home? Would they kick him out because Sonia brought too much trouble?

And of course, he couldn't avoid the thoughts of what would happen if he ended up back with Sonia. The bowls of pills, the lack of meals, the unavoidable hits and treacherous insults that came with the very name. Sonia Kaspbrak.

He knew if he ended up with Sonia, he'd lose everything.

He'd lose Richie and Bill, his phone would be smashed accordingly. He'd lose his social life, and all the pictures he'd ever taken. He'd lose the opportunity to be truly happy, and Fuck, he'd probably lose his mind.

He'd go crazy if he had to stay in that drab room, knowing Sonia had thirty or so locks keeping him trapped inside. He'd go crazy if he had to swallow one more group of Xanax and twenty what-the-fuck-evers he took every day with her.

It made his bones radiate anxiety just thinking about it. It was unavoidable, because the fear of going back to his mother was his biggest fear of all.

Richie only gripped his hand a little tighter upon noticing his friend's panicked state, and he felt accomplished when Eddie relaxed a little. "Can I stay at your hotel room tonight, Richie?"

His voice was quiet, and Richie could barely make out the words, but he nodded anyway. "I though you were going home today?" He asked quietly back.

Eddie shook his head quickly, frowning a little deeper. A line formed between his eyebrows as they pushed together slightly, making Richie drown himself. "N-no, not for a few more days." He responded, and Richie only nodded.

Eddie wished he could avoid Bill's sympathetic eyes when he got off the phone with his mom.

But Richie's hand still clutched his tight, and the rest of the day was relaxing for them as Eddie wasn't really in the mood to do much stuff. They went back to the hotel, rented movies, and cuddled, and it was all Eddie needed to feel a little bit better. "Thank you, Richie."

"What for, Eds?" He asked softly, looking down at the shorter teen.

Eddie shrugged slightly, mumbling, "For being there for me."


	18. Chapter 18

 

Eddie came to the conclusion that he really loved Chicago.

Maybe it wasn't Chicago itself, but more the time he spent with Richie, Bill, Georgie, and the band there that he loved. The rowdy group of eight making their way all around the Windy City, smiles on their faces. Eddie was making the best out of a horrible situation. A situation where he couldn't even go back to his home state without being given back to his mother.

  
But the teens had eaten at almost every place they'd wanted to eat at, deciding if they had to go back to it or not, Richie having an over abundance of pizza. Eddie fell in love with a little soup and sandwich place right across from Richie's favorite pizza place in Chicago. Ben and Beverly both liked the chicken wing place down the road, and Stan found himself enjoying a diner by Bill's favored ShakeShack. Georgie and Mike just liked everything.

  
They'd stopped at every little record store, Eddie posing with every one of their albums they found and Richie snapping pictures of it. Bill picked up a few records to play back at home, and George just enjoyed hitting the buttons for the speakers and running away while the loud music played all at once, making a few clerks wince. George's bright smile always made them soften up though.

The drama about his life wasn't on his mind as the teens (plus George) settled into the seats of the movie theater they'd wandered to. Nothing was on his mind, aside from Richie Tozier.

Richie Tozier and his stupid curly hair that became visible as the movie lit up the dark room, lights casting across his freckles cheeks and shining of his eyes. Eddie smiled, dorky and wide as he turned his head slightly to get a better look a the movie on the screen, but his hand remained in Richie's own.

The artist's hands were strong, long and thin fingers ran gently along his knuckles, rubbing the skin soothingly and drumming against it slightly. Eddie leaned his head against Richie's shoulder, leaning over the armrest between them. Richie smiled, the facial expression impossible for Eddie to miss as he relaxed against the seat, and against Richie. The smile reached his eyes, crinkling and making little lines, making Eddie smile himself.

The movie played on, as if either of the two were paying much attention. Richie just kept rubbing his hand gently and drumming his fingers against his knuckles and Eddie kept smiling and counting the freckles on the left side of his face.

The two teens with wide smiles relaxed in the nearly empty theater, the rest of their friends scattered around seeing as the band plus three were the only ones there. Eddie wished he could stay there forever, a silly movie in the background as Richie's everything captivated his mind.

"I like you a lot, Eds."

He heard it over the movie booming through the speakers, and it sent shivers down his spine. He looked over at Richie, who was already looking at him. Eddie believed him.

"I like you a lot too, Richie."

And Richie's lips were warm against his, pressed lightly against Eddie's. A blush rose to his face, blooming on his cheeks.

And Sonia's petty games and threats weren't on his mind. It wasn't on his mind that he could go home. He wasn't thinking about the bullies back in Derry.

He was sure in the moment that he'd never remember Sonia and her relentless pill problem, and he wouldn't remember how desperately Bill's mother had begged him to stay in Chicago, and he'd never remember the fear of having to go back to Sonia's household. The fear of having to take those pills everyday, the fear of getting addicted to the white bars that settled on the top of the rest of the pill mountain. The fear wasn't on his mind.

His mind was fully captivated by The Famous Richie Tozier, curly black hair that cascaded over sharp cheek bones and light freckles scattered across his face like the night sky all alike. The long, delicate fingers that rubbed his hand so soothingly and the strong, steady guitarist hands. The long legs that he always woke to them being tangled with his own even though he was sure he fell asleep not touching Richie the Night Cuddler™

He felt happy.


	19. Chapter 19

As much as Eddie would've loved to stay away from Derry forever, he knew there would be a day when Mrs. Denbrough called to let him know that he should come back.

He just didn't know the day would be so soon. Hand still held tightly by Richie's stronger one, his phone buzzed and rang faintly from his pocket, making him sigh and hesitantly retract his hand from Richie's, picking up the phone. "Hello?"

"Eddie? I think you three can come home now. I'm so sorry, but I don't know if she's ever going to stop. She's given up on blaming me, though, so maybe it'll be safe for you, but I'd try to steer clear from her." Bill's mother said, and Eddie felt his heart sink. He gave Richie a sad side look, and Richie Almost instantly understood.

"Alright. I'll talk to Bill, we'll catch the soonest flight we can." He said, saying his goodbyes before tucking his phone back into his pocket. "I don't want to go back, Richie."

Richie hugged him, holding him securely against his chest as he rubbed his back gently. "I know, Eds, but it'll be okay. If you ever need it, text me and I'll be there or you can be here. Really. We're going on break soon, after our last three concerts in Cali, and I can look into getting a place in Derry and you won't have to worry about Sonia or getting Bill's family in trouble."

Eddie sniffles and nodded slightly, looking up at Richie and thanking him quietly. Richie only smiled and kissed the tip of his nose cutely. "It's my pleasure, Eddie Spaghetti."

And as happy as Eddie was in that moment, wrapped cutely in Richie's arms with a light red blush dusting his face, his mind was awfully aware of what could happen when his feet hit the land in Derry, Maine.

-

The plane ride was anything but fun as Eddie nervously drummed his fingers against the armrest, staring out the window, Bill on his left and George beside Bill. He bit down on his lip, fully aware of the blood that could arise from the wound he could create if he chewed his lip hard enough. It just made him think of Sonia.

He itched to hold Richie's hand, and Richie wasn't even there.

He felt alone but not at the same time as Mrs. Denbrough picked them up from the airport, a bright smile on her face as she asked how the trip was. George's excitement radiated off him and filled the car, and the fear in Eddie wasn't replaced, but pushed back as he felt happy for George.

"Eddie, did you have fun?" She asked, eyes flickering up to the rear view mirror to look at him. He glanced up from his phone and nodded with a smile.

"I loved it." He said softly, smiling up at her. She smiled back, almost apologetically as she continued to drive to their house.

Nothing about it was different, it was the same house with the same stuff, but it was hard for Eddie to ignore the faintest evidence of the police officers that must've searched the home. The makeshift bed that had yet to be replaced by a real bed was completely torn apart, making Eddie cringe.

He frowned, setting down his bags by the remnants of the bed and sighed. 

Sonia was ruining everything that Eddie had good left in his life.


	20. Chapter 20

 

Eddie knew that his happiness would be short lived.

It was a never ending cycle, something good happened to him and then something bad would crash in like a wave, sweep away the only good thing, then leave him alone again. Eddie became used to being alone. He became used to being alone in a house where he wasn't alone.

But he felt alone nonetheless.

His fingers typed away on his phone, going back and forth from texting Richie to scrolling through Instagram. Nothing special. "Sonia, He's not here!"

Mrs.Denbrough's voice rang through the halls and into the open door, filling the room, and Eddie's heart sank. Bill sat up from the bed, looking at Eddie with wide eyes and Eddie's own started to water. Bill said nothing, sliding out of his bed and sitting next to Eddie, pulling him into a hug.

Eddie gripped the back of Bill's shirt, holding on like the shirt was his only lifeline. He cried softly, body shaking with the force of the tears and sobs. Sonia will never give up. She won't give up until you're in her home again and she's forcing those pills down your throat because you're dirty and you're sick.

He sobbed, raw emotion clawing it's way out of his throat as Bill continued to shush him gently, rocking him back and forth to calm him down. "It's gonna be okay, Eddie."

But it didn't feel okay as his cries slowly subsided into whimpers and sniffles, and Bill stopped holding him as tight and let him go. "I'm gonna go help mom with dinner, okay? Why don't you call Richie and talk?" Eddie nodded, but he knew he wasn't going to call Richie.

He turned his phone over once Bill was gone, the black screen occasionally illuminating against the makeshift bed while Eddie pressed his face into the pillow. He didn't cry, mind captivated by nothing but the horrible though of going back to live with Sonia.

She's going to keep giving you those pills, she's going to kill you with them, Eddie.

And maybe she would. Maybe her relentless behavior would end up with her son overdosing, locker in his room on his second day without eating because her punishment included that, and her excuse would be a simple, "I had no idea he was taking more Xanax than he was prescribed!" Even though her hands were the ones that dealt the bowl of pills to her son. Sonia could kill him, and she could care less if she got attention from it.

Maybe that was her little game now with the Denbroughs. Accusing them of kidnapping her son when she knew full well he would've gone willingly to his best friend's safe home. She didn't care if she was lying, she cared if she got the Facebook comments and the message requests from her high school class telling her that they were there for her, hoping she found her son soon.

Eddie was a playing piece in Sonia's game. Her favorite piece. Every time she played, Eddie was her go to piece.

He was sick of it. 


	21. Chapter 21

Eddie knew it was going to be a bad day when he came downstairs to Mrs.Denbrough angrily typing into her phone.

"Morning, Bill, George, and Mom." Eddie mumbled sleepily, sliding into the chair next to Bill. Mrs.Denbrough looked up, flashing him a weak smile before going back to her phone, and Eddie felt the day's panic set it early.

"Eddie, Bill has a speech appointment today." She said absent minded, eyes never shifting from the phone. "I know you usually go with him, but I think you should stay here today."

Eddie frowned a bit, but nodded nonetheless, rubbing his face slightly with his hands. Bill looked at him apologetically, frowning too. Eddie just looked away and ignored the look.

"'S okay, Eddie! You can play with me!" Georgie smiled, showing off missing teeth. Eddie smiled weakly and nodded, "Of course, Georgie."

Mrs.Denbrough dropped her phone on the table, pushing back from the counter and making breakfast for the three boys at the table, lips set in a firm frown. Eddie felt small, his chest tight with fear and anxiety as anger radiated from the older woman. He looked down at the table, fidgeting slightly as he bounced his leg up and down.

"Eddie, make sure the curtains are drawn and the doors are locked, and do not answer for anyone. Don't go outside." She said, eyes apologetic as Bill's look at the breakfast table. Eddie only nodded, biting down on his lip as Bill left, his mother following him close behind. He sighed, running a hand through his hair as he turned to Georgie. "So what do you want to play?"

The day was dull, spent watching childish cartoons on the large TV, waiting for his friend to come back. He left his phone off upstairs, almost desperate for a day away from Instagram hate and drama, but he could never really get away from the things that made him sad if they were locked in his mind.

He felt close to sleep, eyes dropping closed as Georgie slept on the loveseat. The sound of angry fists pounding against the front door made him jump, eyes wide as he whipped his head to the side and look. The door was normal, the shades were drawn, and there were several long moments before more loud blows hit the door, the wood jerking with the force.

Georgie sat up, tired looking and Eddie quickly lifted his finger to his lips, a small almost silent "shh" slipping from his mouth, and Georgie didn't speak. The sound came again, the two boys jumping.

Eddie swallowed thickly, standing and looking in the direction of the door before the words filled his ears. "Let me in! I know my son is in here!"

Eddie felt his heart sink to his stomach, face getting more and more pale as it settled in his mind that Sonia was the one banging on the door. Sonia was out there and she only wanted him. He shot a gaze at George, who looked scared, but Eddie didn't say anything again.

The only thought in his head was what would happen if he stayed there, versus what would happen if he went back to Sonia. He could either suffer himself, or cause more issues for the Denbroughs.

With shaky hands and nervous steps, he walked to the door.


	22. Chapter 22

Sonia's face was red with anger, her black hair still wild and unruly as always. Eddie stared into her eyes, pure fear in his own while her emotion radiated like a wood stove, swarming around him. He swallowed thickly again, and suddenly her anger washed away. She was about to play the game again.

"Eddiebear! Oh, my little Eddie, you must come home!" Her eyes seemed to water, but Eddie knew better. He shook his head, firm and swift, eyes never breaking from Sonia's.

"No. I'm staying here." He said, not addressing the fat woman that stood in front of him, and suddenly the anger was back. "Eddie, you have to! I need you, Eddie, I can't live without you!"

Eddie felt a pang in his chest at the words, and he bit down on his lip, shaking his head again. "No, Momma, I'm not going back to you."

"Eddie, you're going to get in this car right now or else-"

"Or else what? You'll hit me again? Lock me in my room and starve me? Shove more useless pills down my throat because you're crazy and think I'm sick? Nothing is fucking wrong with me! I'm a normal kid, and you're ruining me, and I need to get the fuck away before you fucking kill me." Sonia looked shocked, hand pressed to her chest. Eddie stood taller, straightening his back as he swallowed thickly again. "Now leave me and the Denbroughs alone. They're helping me, and I've had enough of you trying to ruin my life and the lives of everyone around me."

Sonia was blinded with rage, her hands shaking as the emotion filled her, and suddenly, Eddie's fear was back. He felt like a child again, forced under her hand and no other, practically a slave to her as she begged and sobbed and manipulated. "Your friend and his family? Good luck to them if you don't come home. They took you away from me, Eddie."

And the few moment Eddie had of pure confidence were gone. Flown out the window, away into the wind, and his fear of his mother was back. The bigger, stronger, forceful and manipulative woman he was forced to call his mother.

He felt small under her menacing gaze, the puppy complex back again, and his metaphorical ears pressed to his hair. "Rules need to be made if I go back."

"And I'll be the one to make them. The adult, not the silly child." Her hands clenched at her sides and he gripped the doorknob tightly. He sure hoped Georgie couldn't hear this.

"I'm not a child, momma." He said weakly, and her laugh over powered him.

"You're not a child? You're obsessed with a silly band that'll never notice or care about you, you only have one friend who does everything for you because you can't do anything for yourself, and you've run away from your caring mother because why? Because I disciplined you. You're a child, Edward. You need to come home." Her words burned their way into his mind, and he shivered. "You're coming home."

Eddie didn't want to fight anymore.

He just wanted to have his life back to how it was before the concert. Spending more time with Bill at his house than he did at his own, going back about three days a week, no comments or likes aside from his acquaintances on his Instagram posts, no more relentless sadness.

But maybe it was better now than it had been before.

It didn't feel better when Sonia stood tall in front of her short son, intimidating gaze forcing him. "Tonight."

The simple word seemed to please the fat woman, her back straightening impossibly more as she smirked. "5."

He shut the door, firmly locking it behind him as he hesitated to go back to the couch. Georgie's eyes were wide, staring ahead at Eddie's figure. He pulled his knees to his chest, curling up on the couch, and cried softly.

Georgie pushed himself up, sitting by Eddie's feet and hesitantly hugging the small teen's curled up form. Eddie didn't stop crying, the tears mixing together on the fabric of his pants. They stayed that way, Georgie helplessly hugging his idol as Eddie's cries subsided into sniffles.

"You can't tell Billy or Mom, Georgie." He said, red rimmed eyes watching Georgie. George nodded.

"Are you okay, Eddie?" He asked, looking utterly confused, and Eddie only nodded.

"I'll be alright, George. You're a good kid, you know?" He said, hugging the small kid. Georgie smiled wide and hugged back tightly. "You're the best, Eddie!"

But Eddie didn't feel like the best.


	23. Chapter 23

-one week later-

Eddie's eyes burned.

They did every day now. He didn't leave much, his door stayed locked but he crawled out his window every now and then to wander Derry at night. Sonia wouldn't find out if he hid himself in the shadows.

He wasn't entirely isolated, his phone fully functional and charged 100% of the time, and he constantly talked to Richie, but something was missing.

Bill.

Since the night he snuck out of his house, Bill had only sent one text. Eddie's heart clenched, and the only thing he wanted was his best friend back. Countless texts were ignored by the taller teen, and Eddie's heart only broke even more.

Pills were a consistency. Pills, talking to Richie, and hearing the click of the lock on his door were the only bits of consistency. That, and the sadness.

The sadness never left, a dark cloud looming over his head.He was used to it, and he was surprised to find that the pills Sonia gave him made it slightly more bearable. He wondered what they were.

But his vague wondering wouldn't get his mother to tell him, the only pill he could identify in the bowl being the bar of Xanax that never failed to rest easily on the top of the tower, the powdery white surfaceunder the dim light. He shivered when he saw it. But it was always in the daily collection of medicine that he took, the medicine that made his mouth taste sour and his stomach churn.

Eddie relied solely on Richie now.

The texts sent back and forth daily were all he felt like he was living for, his eyes shimmering whenever Richie's name blinked on the blue light screen. He found himself smiling and blushing at the messages, a light despite how dark his life was. He wondered how long it would be until he saw Richie again daily, the thought constantly taunting him, but he still had the pictures.

The pictures of all of them, the band plus three hanging out in Chicago, the ones posted on Instagram that had significantly less hate on it. That was another thing Eddie noticed. The hate on his feed slowly diminished. Still there, it taunted him, but he smiled when the comments soon formed happier sayings. It made his heart lift, swell wide in his chest as he felt full of pride and happiness.

But Sonia's footsteps were always the thing to tear him from his conflicting feelings.

He shoved his phone roughly under his pillow, making it seem like he'd been watching the dull Adult Swim cartoon that played on the Tv in his room. She poked her head into the room, eyeing her son. "Come get dinner."

Eddie obediently pushes himself out of the bed, following the overweight woman out of his room and into the kitchen, where two plates full of food sat on opposite sides of the table. Eddie tapped his foot against the wood floors after he sat, eating the food quickly, hoping to get far away from Sonia again. "So why did you do it?"

He looked up, abruptly dropping the fork against his plate. It fell with a clatter, the metal and porcelain colliding. "What?"

"I asked why you did it? Meaning why did you leave?" She repeated, keeping her eyes on her food as if the conversation was nonchalant.

"I wanted to be normal, momma. We both know I'm not sick and I don't need those pills, and we both know that you're not helping me." He said, mocking her nonchalant attitude. He jumped when her fist slammed against the table.

She didn't say anything, only glaring holes into Eddie's head. He shivered. Dinner continued, him nervously shoveling food into his mouth, head ducked down as if that would help him avoid Sonia's menacing gaze. It didn't.

She stared straight on at him. He wanted to cry again. "I thought you understood the rules, Edward."

"Ido, momma, I'm sorry." He mumbled, hand nervously grabbing the opposite as he tucked them neatly in his lap. She didn't move her eyes and he didn't move a muscle.

"You don't seem to. Eddie, you know better than to treat me like this. You can't do this to me, I'm your mother and you know I love you and I'm just trying to help you. I just want my Eddiebear to be safe." Her words broke his heart, and he felt horrible. Like all the progress he'd made, everything he'd ever done that proved his hatred towards the heavyset woman in front of him, was gone. It was gone, and he was back to how he'd been as a 13 year old. Confused and abused.

But he nodded anyway, and she let him go back to his room, and he didn't feel relievedthis time. He just felt useless. He swallowed thickly, as if it would keep his dinner down when the lock clicked and he pulled his phone out from the pillow.

 **Richie-** Hey, Eds? I have an idea.

 **Eddie-** bless me with your almighty knowledge, Richard.

 **Richie-** I'm gonna buy a house in Derry, and you're gonna come live in it with me. Sonia doesn't even know I exist, there's noproof of you being with the Denbroughs, and I have more than enough money to take care of us.

 **Eddie-** Richie, it wouldn't work.

 **Richie-** why not? I'm just trying to help you, Eddie, I can't stand to see you hurting and you don't fool me when you tell me you're fine. Please, just try it with me.

 **Eddie-** fine.

Eddie hoped Richie was right.


	24. Chapter 24

Eddie had walked passed the house a few times during the school season.

It was big and dark colored, a bit on the outskirts of Derry, but still technically in the tiny town. He would've never guessed it would be a house that Richie Tozier would buy.

But here he was, watching moving trucks drive by his home on the way to what he assumed was Richie's new house. He smiled wide, checking his phone for any texts from the moving teen.

 **Richie-** dumb thot, come over

 **Eddie-** youre a dick I'm on my way

And he was, opening his window and sliding through it, feet hitting the grass and legs carrying him in the direction the moving trucks went it. He couldn't stop the smile on his face as he found the house, Richie standing on the porch. Eddie jogged up, grinning at Richie from the front of the lawn.

Richie smiled, waving Eddie over. Eddie smiled, going up to Richie, who let him into the house. "It's pretty empty, I just got here myself, but I missed you so damn much, I couldn't wait for them to bring in a couch."

Eddie only smiled and hugged Richie, happy to be with his friend instead of alone in his room. "Couch or not, I'm happy to be here."

And as great as the moment was, Eddie still felt empty without Bill.

He helped Richie move in, hoping that doing stuff would take his mind of the lack of his best friend, but the thought still nagged him. Bill wouldn't talk to him.

Bill hadn't talked to him since he left the house, and he hadn't heard from George or mom either. The dread settled in his stomach days ago, but it reminded him of it's presence plenty enough. It weighed him down, heavily resting and making him uneasy.

But he couldn't spend his day worried and sad about his lack of a best friend when he had Richie by his side.

"Richie, mind if we take a bit of a break? There's a couch now." Eddie joked softly, and Richie nodded.

And the silence didn't bother them, and Richie didn't ask what was wrong when Eddie curled up against his side and cried softly into his chest.

The day had taken a turn for the worst, and Richie's gentle hands rubbing circles on his back calmed him immensely, but not quite enough. Nothing was enough.

Eddie's sobs echoed in the box filled room, followed most definitely by Richie's soft shushes and coos. "It's okay, Eddie, it'll be okay."

But to him, it wasn't. It wasn't okay, because he was still missing Bill and still living with Sonia and still taking those pills that still made him feel horribly sick all the time. He was still throwing his life away and making reckless decisions for the better of his friends. He was still sad.

And he remembered wondering if he could get high on his Xanax and realized that he couldn't because Sonia _ruined him._

Sonia ruined the small boy, curled up to the famous teen on the couch, crying softly. She ruined him.

 _"Momma, can I go play with Bill today after school?"_ _Eddie looked up at his mom, the short child's puppy eyes giving her the Look._

_"Stay clean and you can, Eddiebear, remember to stay out of the mud." She said, ignoring her son in favor of the television show. Eddie grinned and ran out of the house, taking off towards Bill's home._

_"Billy, Billy, momma said I can play!" Eddie grinned, his toothless smile reaching his eyes as he ran up to Bill, who sat on his porch. Bill smiled too,_ _getting up._

_The two kids played happily, avoiding the mud as best as they could until Eddie had fallen, scraping his knee on the concrete and toppling into the mud._

_The kid didn't care, there was hardly any pain to the wound, but his mother felt differently._

_"Eddie! Oh my, Eddie_ , _you're hurt and you're dirty!" She screeched, words loud and shrill in his ears. He furrowed his brows, frowning._

_"No, momma, I'm okay!"_

_But Sonia wasn't convinced, and the lock on his door was fastened for the first time, the child sobbing to himself on his bed, wishing his momma would love him like all the other mommas did._


	25. Chapter 25

Eddie wished he was discreet enough to not show his emotions. Especially around Sonia.

"Why are you all happy, Eddiebear?" Sonia asked over dinner, her words a grim response to Eddie's faint smile and dust of a blush. The smile faded almost instantly.

"It's nothing, momma." He said softly, taking another bite of the food in front of him. Hewished it was enough to convince his mother, but he knew better.

"It's obviously something, Eddie, now tell me. What has you happy?" Her voice grew more firm, and Eddie wanted to run. He wanted to leave the house and never come back. "Tell me, Eddie, I'm your mother, you can't lie to me."

He watched her with wide, fearful eyes as she gripped the fork in her hand tightly. **"** I'm just having a good day, momma." He said softly, and Sonia's glare didn'tlessen, but she didn't say anything else.

They are in silence until Eddie set his fork down and asked to go to his room. Sonia shook her head. "Eddie, we need to talk." His heart sank but he nodded, his sweaty palms rubbed his shaking knees as he waited for Sonia to speak.

She didn't say anything for a while, just staring ahead at her son. Eddie wanted to get out again, but he wouldn't make it out of the room without being grabbed by Sonia and he knew it.

"I'm worried about you. It seems that you've been getting more sick and the pills don't seem to help." She started, and Eddie's stomach sank. He held his breath, waiting for the next words to leave her mouth. "And I've been talking to my friend, he's a doctor that specializes in cases like yours."

 _Cases like mine. What "case" do I have?_ Eddie thought, swallowing thickly as he watched Sonia fold her hands neatly in her lap.

"So I've been thinking about the advice he gave me, and I've decided that he's right. You won't need to pack." She said simply, and Eddie felt like he was going to vomit. "It's just a little bit outside of Derry."

Bile began to rise in his throat as he gagged, pushing the chair back and pushing his head down. "Wh-what?" He forced out, words wavering and broken as they slipped past his shaking lips. He swallowed back the bile, squeezing his eyes shut.

"They'll help you there, Eddie, you'll come back home and you won't be sick."Sonia said, sliding a paper across the table towards him. He peaked up, reading the simple words at the top of the flyer. _Derry Maine Mental Institution._

"M-mom, I'm not mentally ill, I'm fine!" He cried weakly, his eyes watering as he looked up at her desperately.

"You're sick, Eddie, you need help and you'll get better there. They have the right medicine and they'll fix you, Eddie." She said as if her words were easy, and Eddie felt the bile rise up again.

He pushed himself up, rushing to the bathroom and emptying his stomach into the pristine porcelain, hearing his mother's heavy steps towards him. He pushed her voice away, somehow managing to focus on nothing but everything at the same time.

Sonia was talking, and it looked frantic from the side view of Eddie's red and teary eyes, and his fingers gripped the toilet so tight his knuckles turned white, pressing against his skin.He shivered, knees pressed against the cool tile and Sonia's shrill voice piercing his ears.

But nothing mattered, BecauseSonia was sending him away to a mental institution and he'd lose everything.


	26. Chapter 26

Eddie wanted to die.

He'd never really said it to himself or thought about it, but after his bathroom session and his long text sent to Richie about how he was being sent away and where he was going, he found himself alone again. Knees tucked to his chest and arms snakes around them, holding them tight to himself as he cried against the fabric of his pants.

He didn't want to go away to a mental hospital. He was fine, there wasn't a thing wrong with him. He was fine. He was fine. _He was fine._

But Bill hadn't texted and hate comments piled up and DMs remained unread and his feelings for Richie built up in his chest. Sometimes things explode.

He had to remind himself that, and his chest was like a volcano. His heart pounded as the sobs forced their way out of his chapped lips, and his chest hurt.

It hurt, his lungs constricting and throat swelling and neck burning as he just gave in to the sadness. He wanted to die. He missed Richie in advance and his stomach burned from the nights pills, the tears continuing to burn their tracks down his cheeks.

He ignored the buzzing phone next to him, hands shaking as he frantically forced himself to breathe, willing himself to not grab for his inhaler. He gripped his legs, whimpering between sobs.

It carried on until he was too exhausted to sob anymore, giving up and laying on the bed, gripping his pillow like it was the end of the world. He grabbed his phone, unlocking it quickly.

 **Richie-** really?

 **Richie-** Eds?

 **Richie-** Eddie, what's going on???

 **Eddie-** sorry.

 **Richie-** Eddie, everything is gonna turn out okay, I promise. I'm not going to let you stay there.

 **Eddie-** What do you expect to do, Richie? I'm stuck, and she's gonna send me away, there's no way you can get me out if you're not my legal guardian. We're kids, we can't get each other out of this.

 **Richie-** Eddie shut up for once and listen to me, please. You keep doubting this but you won't let me even try to help you. I'm trying to help! I can help, and if you doubt everything and don't come to me, I can't.

Eddie tosses his phone to the side, rolling onto his back and pretending he didn't hear the consistent buzzing next to him. He just wanted everyone to realize that he didn't want other people to get in trouble if they involved themselves.

He gave in eventually and texted Richie back, but he still found himself seated in the back of this mother's car the next day. He still found himself watching the trees zoom past the car, still incredibly nervous.

And he still found himself faced with the large building.


	27. Chapter 27

Days soon became dull blurs of grey hospital gowns and multicolored pills in a small cup. The form of transportation changed.

His once bright eyes became just as dull as the walls of the room he found himself shut in, even when the lock was open on the other side and orderlies stuck their heads in to inform him of the day's plans. He didn't want to socialize with them, not the nurses or the doctors or the patients. He _wasn't_ mentally ill.

He kept his mouth shut the first night, flushing the pills down the toilet in the bathrooms. His roommate watched with wide eyes as if he'd never seen rebellion before. He wasn't even sure what his name was.

But now, five days into the experience, he took the pills obediently and lived. He didn't do anything but that. He couldn't focus or think, feeling like his mind was stuck suspended in a mass of nothing. He felt like he was floating.

He always believed he couldn't get high on the pills anymore because of how long and how many he'd been taking, but this was next level shit. He wasn't sure if he was high or just too sad.

And even though he was usually out of it, he was aware that Richie hadn't followed through with his promise to get him out of there.

Eddie watched the walls like they were a movie, pretending that everything was okay and not slowly sliding down hill. He never stopped tapping his foot, constantly in motion unless his nighttime pills knocked him out and his head hit the pillow faster than his foot could tap against the floor. Maybe he was thankful that the pills they gave him here made him sleep, because Valium was starting to fall a little short of its task.

He came to the conclusion that he was happier here than he was at home, purely because he was away from Sonia. But he wasn't happy at all.

He was suffering, desperate to leave and get away and breathe the fresh air again and not feel like he needed to puff on the inhaler that no longer rested in his pocket. He craved talking to someone, not a single word had left his lips since he arrived at the hospital, and most of all, he craved talking to Richie.

He just wanted to talk to the only person he had left.

"Eddie? There's group therapy today, you're required to go." One of the orderlies said, as he peered into his room. He looked over at him, eyes pleading, but he only opened the door wider. "Please, Eddie?"

He didn't move, if anything he stayed even more rooted to the spot. "Alright, Eddie. How about, instead of going to group therapy, you can talk to me. Just me, but you have to talk." He said, entering the room and shutting the door behind him.

Eddie looked up at the man, hesitant to agree to the idea, but nodded anyway. At least he didn't have to talk to multiple other people.

"I'll go first, then?" He said, pulling a chair to sit across from Eddie's spot. "Well, my name is Will. You're Eddie, obviously." Will attempted to joke, and Eddie's lips only lifted slightly. "Why are you here?"

"I don't know." Eddie said softly, looking at Will honestly. "My mom put me here. There's nothing wrong with me."

"What do you mean?" Will asked, looking confused.

"I mean, that my mom is crazy and she put me here. She's had me on these crazy pills my whole life and there's nothing wrong with me. She put me here because I ran away and lived with my best friend and she's insane, Will, please believe me. I need to get out of here, I can't stay." Eddie said, his eyes starting to water. He pulled his knees to his chest, and for three first time since he got there, he consciously stopped tapping his foot.

Will looked surprised, taking in all the information and hesitating. "Well, I- I can't help. That'd be risking my job and I don't even know if you're telling the truth here-"

"Will, please. If you don't believe me, call my friends. I can give you their numbers, I've memorized them Incase I can call people but I can't, I'm going to lose it here, I can't stand not talking to them, please.." Eddie's lip wavered and he stared at Will, who looked conflicted.

"Eddie, I'd be risking my job, and if I lose this job, I wouldn't be able to provide for my family or for myself." Will said, biting down on his lip. Eddie lowered his head, giving up. Nothing ever looked up for him. "You're lucky I can tell you're not lying."

Eddie's head shot up in surprise, eyes widening. "So you'll help?"

"Keep quiet, will you?" Will shushed him, looking hesitant about it. "I can convince them to let you call. I'll talk to the doctors, if you can get one of your friends to come in and try to get them to release you, I can help." Will said, words hushed as he ran a hand through his hair. Eddie broke out into a large smile, shooting up and hugging Will.

"Thank you so much, Will." He said softly, before pulling back. Will nodded, flashing Eddie a smile before he left the room.

Eddie changed his mind about things never looking up for him.


	28. Chapter 28

Eddie felt optimistic now that Will had helped him.

It was a rare feeling for Eddie, but knowing that soon he'd be able to call Richie and talk to him and maybe get out made him ecstatic. The smile on his face couldn't be wiped off if anyone tried.

And when Will popped into the room the next day, holding a piece of paper that allowed Eddie to make the call, Eddie's grin only grew.

"Alright, Eddie, let's get this call done so you can go." Will smiled and Eddie jumped up, following him to a room that had several wall phones, like pay phones. "You have ten minutes, I'm hoping you can get it done in that time."

Eddie nodded, quickly dialing Richie's personal phone number.

It didn't take too many rings for Richie to pick up, sounding panicked. "Hello?"

"Richie, it's Eddie! They finally let me call, Rich, I need you to get me outta here." Eddie hurried, running a hand through his messy, unkept hair.

"Eddie?! Eddie, I'm so sorry I didn't come, I-" Richie started but Eddie cut him off quickly. "Shut up, Richie, it's fine, but you need to come now. I made friends with an orderly here and I can't say their name so they don't get in trouble but I know I'll be able to get out of here. Please, Richie!"

"I'll be there soon, Eds, don't worry." Richie said, and Eddie let out a heavy sigh of relief. "I love you, see you soon."

The phone was hung up, and silence filled Eddie's ears until Will came into the room. "So? How'd it go?"

"He said he's on his way." Eddie said, a smile growing on his lips. Will smiled too, happy for the teen, and when they made it back to Eddie's room, the door was shut again.

His happiness wasn't essentially short lived, just slightly shot down when Will's smile faded into a sad one and the door locked behind him. He couldn't complain though, not as he sat by the window and watched the parking lot like a hawk, desperate to see Richie's expensive car pull up.

-

Richie's clammy hands gripped the steering wheel, the radio disregarded as static blared through his speakers instead of Twin Peaks because what mattered at the moment to the teen wasn't the music that he made money from, but the boy locked away that made him happy.

He followed the shitty instructions his iPhone called out to him, turning left and right and making one or five too many u-turns that weren't 100% legal. He felt like crying when the time on the blue light screen in his car kept crawling up, 1:30, 1:37, 1:42, 1:49, and the bright red Stop sign directly next to a green one that said the haunting words made Richie straighten out his back and fix his hair while he waited for the other car to turn at the intersection before another left turn had him facing a large building.

Richie looked in the rear view mirror, checking himself over so he looked slightly older and more responsible to take Eddie out of the hospital. He grabbed ahold of the folder that he'd placed on the passenger seat filled with papers Eddie didn't even know he had. His blazer fit him just right as he parked the car and got out, long legs carrying him to the wooden doors of the hospital.

He strode to the receptionist, giving the woman a smile and asking politely to see the head doctor, earning a strange look. "Ma'am, I guarantee my paycheck nearly triples your head doctor's, now please do your job and let him know that I'll see him when he's ready." Richie said smoothly, taking a seat in a chair in the room. Her eyes were wide, staring at him as he smiled politely at her.

"H-he says you can go now, Sir." She said hesitantly after making the call, and Richie stood with a smile, heading to the man's office. He slid through the open door, taking a seat directly in front of his desk.

"Good afternoon, sir." Richie said respectfully, knowing if he wanted to get Eddie out of there he'd have to win the man over.

"How may I help you, Mr..?" The doctor trailed off, to which Richie replied kindly with his name.

"Richie Tozier, Doctor, now if I may, I'd like to have a good talk with you about taking one of your patients out. I'm terribly sorry that you have a mistake as to why he's here, and he shouldn't be." Richie said, looking at the doctor while he held the folder firmly in his hands.

"Which patent is this that we're speaking of, Mr. Tozier?" The doctor raises his eyebrows as he spoke, looking skeptical.

"Eddie Kaspbrak, sir." Richie said, watching as the doctor sat back in his chair with a sigh. "I have proof to say that he's only here because his mother is mentally unstable. In this folder, I have statements from all of his friends, including the parent and sibling of his best friend, talking about the things his mother has done. Sonia checked him in here, sir, and I think he shouldn't be here." Richie handed the folder to the doctor, who took it with raised eyebrows.

Several moments passed, the older man's eyes scanning over the many sheets of paper in the folder. "Mr. Tozier, if the words on these pages are in fact true, this could lead to a very intense legal battle between who could be granted custody over Mr. Kaspbrak. Are you aware and willing to deal with the legal issues that could arise from these accusations?"

"Painfully aware, sir. Eddie has been dealing with this his whole life, and if he continues to live it like this, I'm afraid he won't have one to live anymore." Richie answered truthfully. "I've got plenty money to pay for the best lawyer I can find to fight this case. I don't want to sit back and watch this happen anymore."

The old man sat back again after handing the folder back to Richie, lifting his head a bit. "In order to release him, I need to have a signature. There are so many issues that will arise from me letting him go into your custody, considering you're not over 18 yourself, but if I do this, you two need to go to the police station. ASAP, Mr. Tozier. Maybe not today, but at the very least tomorrow. And that's if I do this. I'll go talk to the orderlies that worked with Eddie, and see what they think. Please stay here, I'll be back shortly."

  
And Richie was left alone in the older doctor's office, foot tapping nervously against the floor, because he might not let Eddie go.


	29. Chapter 29

  
Eddie watched everything happen from his spot in the patient dining area of the hospital. The head doctor looked over at him, then to Will and a few other orderlies, and he felt anxiety race through him as Will stood and went over to him. What if Will tricked me? What if I can't leave here?

But the smile on Will's face when the older doctor said something made Eddie feel more hopeful, and once the orderlies returned to where they were prior to being talked to and Will came over to him, he felt like his heart would stop beating at any second. It didn't stop, though, only pouring harder in his chest as Will smiled and hugged him. "I'll walk you down."

And Eddie broke out into a smile again.

He nodded fast, walking fast next to Will down a hall he'd never seen before, and to a large room. The door opened, and it wasn't slow like in movies, but the second Eddie saw Richie sitting nervously in one of the chairs, he ran.

Richie stood just in time for Eddie to hug him tighter than ever before, and he hugged back, arms wrapped tightly around Eddie, almost as if they'd never see each other again. "Eds.."

Eddie closed his eyes, face buried in the crook of Richie's neck as they hugged, feeling nothing but pure happiness and relief. "I missed you so much, Richie."

Will watched, Richie looking an awful lot like someone he knew, a smile spreading on his face as he watched the two teenagers hug. They didn't move for several minutes, until the doctor returned with Eddie's real clothes and release papers, talking to him about how they need to go to the police as soon as possible, but Eddie could only focus on the fact that he was next to Richie again.

Eddie left, going to change into the clothes he'd arrived in, and Richie was left with Will. "You look familiar." Will said softly, looking confused but a smile was still on his face.

"I don't believe we've met." Richie responded, biting down on his lip. "I'm Richie. I might be familiar because I'm famous." He responded, seeming standoffish as he spoke. Will looked hesitant to answer.

"No, like do you have any siblings?" Will tried, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Richie. Before he could respond, Eddie cam back, a smile on his face as he hugged Richie again. "Can we leave? Please? I can't stand it here any longer.."

Richie nodded, lacing his fingers together with Eddie's. "Let's go. Thank you for helping him, Will."

Will frowned a bit, but nodded as they left, and Richie couldn't have been more happy to lead Eddie to the car. Eddie let out a sigh of relief, looking at the building before Richie drove off, a smile on his face. "How did you do it?"

"Do what?" Richie asked, giving him a side glance. Eddie sat up a bit straighter. "Get me out of there, duh."

"Oh. Well, I had some papers that proved that your mom is literally insane and I showed him the papers, and now you're out." Richie said, almost as if it was nothing. Eddie only smiled.

"Thank you, Richie. I can't thank you enough, actually." He said softly, and Richie smiled too.

They drove to Richie's new house (which was fully equipped with plenty of couches by now) and Richie hardly batted an eye at the extra car in the driveway. "Who's is that?" Eddie asked, but Richie only shrugged. Eddie shook his head with a smile, getting out of the car and following Richie to the door.

He'd been inside the house before, and nothing really changed aside from the addition of furniture and food in the kitchen. "Hopefully you're fine with pizza, you must be starving. It's already been ordered, you can go to the living room and hang out while I get some drinks." Richie said, smiling.

Eddie squinted slightly in suspicion, but went to the living room anyway. He looked over at the couch, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw Bill and Georgie sitting there. "Eddie!" Georgie exclaimed in excitement, getting up and hugging Eddie. Eddie took a step back, eyes wide, but hugged Georgie back anyway. "Hey, George, how've you been?"

"I missed you, Eddie! Even mom misses you, but Billy was bein' stupid." Georgie mumbled, making Eddie chuckle. Bill looked fairly mad. "George, what did mom say about saying that?"

"Not to." Georgie responded, a smile still on his face. Eddie laughed softly, looking over at Bill. "Hey, Bill." He said softly.

"I'm only here because Georgie missed you." Bill said, refusing to make eye contact with Eddie. Eddie sighed to himself, feeling his heart break a little before he nodded, sitting down on the loveseat. Richie came back, tossing a juice to George and a water to Bill. "Didn't kill each other, I see?"

"Damn close to it." Bill mumbled under his breath as Richie sat beside Eddie, and Eddie only scoffed slightly. "Richie, do you think you could take Georgie out for a minute?" He asked kindly, and Richie nodded.

Once the small child was gone, Eddie stood up and looked at Bill, glaring daggers at his best friend. "Stop being fucking stupid, Bill."

"I'm being stupid? How the hell am I being stupid?!" Bill responded, sounding absolutely appalled.

"You're fucking mad because I left. You know why? Because I didn't want Your fucking little brother, who's not even ten, to have to struggle to live. You know all the shit Sonia would've put you through? You know how many legal issues would've arises if I stayed with you? Your mother could've been arrested for kidnapping because I was at your house, and there wasn't shit we could've done about it." Eddie ranted, his voice raised as he paced in front of a wide-eyed Bill.

"And I fucking left to help you and you ignored me. So you know, generally you'd inform your friend if you were being sent to a fucking mental hospital because your mother is fucking insane, and I'm so sorry for trying to fucking help your fucking family!" He shouted, tears in his eyes. Bill didn't answer, stunned by the outburst.

"You have no reason to be mad at me, because everything I did was to help you and George and mom. So fuck you for completely ignoring me when I needed you the most." Eddie finished, voice lowering as he sat back down. He hoped Richie would come back in. He wanted Richie to come back in.

If Richie would come back, he wouldn't have to deal with hearing Bill's response and he wouldn't have to handle crying alone because his best friend was being a dick, and he could cuddle his Richie and be happy.

"I'm sorry, Eddie. I was being selfish. All I saw, was that you were going back to her and being stupid, because you knew that she was abusive." Bill responded, voice quiet. It broke through the silence, wavering as it left his lips. "I shouldn't have ignored you, and I shouldn't have been so thick headed about this. And I'm sorry."

Eddie didn't say anything, just silently hoping for Richie to come back.

"I wrote one of the statements that Richie used to get you out of there. So did Georgie. We missed you a lot, Eddie." Bill said, and Eddie looked over at him. Silence drowned the two of them again before Eddie got up, sitting next to Bill and hugging him tightly.

For the first time, he let everything settle down around him.

His mother sent him away, to a mental hospital after abusing him for his whole life and forcing him to take pills that made him feel horribly sick. He left his best friend behind to go back to his abusive mother. He started talking to a super rich and famous guy who's fans called him every mean word they could think of, tearing him down impossibly more each and every day. He took those damn pills his mother gave him, and the pills at the hospital, and he didn't stop when he swore he could feel them burning his stomach and making him spit blood into the sink in the morning.

But he was fine now.

Because every bad thing was beginning to look up.


	30. Chapter 30

  
Eddie could've happily gone without the long, drawn out court process that took up all but one week of Richie's break, and by the end of the constant struggle to free himself from Sonia once and for all, he collapsed on Richie's bed with a heavy, happy sigh.

"Finally." He said simply and happily, eyes closed contently as Richie grinned himself, pulling in a hoodie and jumping into the bed. "No more Sonia."

"No more Sonia means no more pills and no more pills means healthy Eds and that's all I want. Healthy and happy Eddie." Richie smiled, pulling Eddie close to him. Eddie giggled slightly, allowing Richie to hold him as the sun settled in the horizon. "It's like nine, how is the sun still out?"

"No idea, but healthy happy Eddie wants to not be awake anymore." Eddie mumbled with a smile, face buried against Richie's neck. Richie smiled, kissing the top of his hair. "Rest up, baby, we're gonna go on an adventure tomorrow." Eddie was too tired to respond, but the promise of an adventure the next day made sleep come quick.

Mornings were hard for teenaged boys, but Richie was very used to getting up and ready prior to the sun peaking up, and with only one week left of his break, he was ready to finally do something that could easily be more fun than trips to the courtroom and police station. He just wasn't used to getting himself up when a very cute, very small other teen was cuddled up to him, sound asleep. "Shit." He mumbled to himself, watching a Eddie snores softly against his chest.

He smiled softly, running his hand through Eddie's sleep-ruined hair and hummed quietly, hoping Eddie would wake up soon. Eddie only nuzzled impossibly closer to him, letting out a yawn. "Wake up, Eds, we're gonna be leaving soon." Richie said softly, hoping that speaking would wake up the teen. Eddie cracked open an eye, looking up at Richie.

"Where are we going, 'Chee?" He mumbled sleepily, turning his head so he could see Richie clearly. Richie smiled wide.

"A little vacation. Derry is boring, there's so many more fun places we can go, and I figured we didn't spend that much time in New York, so we're gonna go back before break ends." Richie said softly, kissing the top of Eddie's head, making him smile.

"I loved New York." He said, sitting up a bit. Richie nodded, agreeing as he pushed himself out of the bed. "So let's get packed and go!"

Packing was without a doubt one of the worst parts of vacations, but it was done quickly and swiftly with very little interruption as Richie sang softly to himself while the two folded their clothes. Eddie couldn't make out the tune, but it surely made shivers travel down his spine.

There was something different about Richie's voice when it was just the two of them.

It was stronger even though it was much more quiet, not wavering in the least as the melodic words slipped from his lips. It never failed to make Eddie smile, the sound filling his ears and his heart.

Even with Richie's soft singing, he still had to pack.

Packing was done before they knew it, and they come to terms with the fact that the interior of the car would be awfully familiar for a few hours on the way to the best airport near them. 


	31. Chapter 31

New York City was amazing. Eddie didn't fault to be amazed every time they arrived, his eyes always wide and scanning the lights and busy streets. Richie just seemed happy enough to see Eddie this way.

"Where to first, Eds? We could go to a museum, or go eat, or go to Central Park?" Richie asked once they settled into the large hotel room. Eddie looked over from his spot on the bed, shrugging.

"Something fun, Richie. I'm down for anything fun." Eddie responded, making a grin speed across Richie's face. Eddie rolled his eyes with a fond smile. "Oh no, what's that look for?"

"Time to go to the best place in New York, Eds!" Richie cheered, pulling on a hoodie and grabbing his wallet. "We're going to the park, and we're gonna get some of the best food the city has to offer!"

Eddie smiled and got up, grabbing his own jacket to stay warm in the chilly city. He got up with Richie, leaving the hotel and following the excitable teen to the park.

For once, the two teens weren't worried about anything.

They didn't worry about the stress of the court drama that had finally ended with a free Eddie, they didn't worry about Sonia or Eddie's shitty pills, and the most definitely did not care at all about the paparazzi. Neither of them wanted to spend their special trip concerned about the social media and how big of an issue it could become if they were spotted together.

The park was nice, even though both boys were nearly shivering. It was freezing in the grassy area, but the wind did little to hinder them from walking together, hands gripping each other tight between them. "The Park is just a really great place to walk at." Richie mumbled softly, eyes wandering around the park. Eddie smiled. "Glad to know you enjoy mundane things too."

Richie laughed, shaking his head softly at Eddie's words. "You know I'm a normal teenager."

"Painfully aware, I'm living with you." Eddie replied with a playful smile, making Richie laugh again. Even if Eddie would've tried to keep the smile from spreading as Richie laughed, he would've failed miserably.

Richie couldn't wipe the smile off his own, and the two continued to wander in the cold until Richie remembered to take him to his favorite food place in the city. He was sure Eddie would be surprised at his choice, the very thought of the look on Eddie's face making him want to laugh.

They walked, until Richie recognized where they were and rugged Eddie down the hallway. "This, Eds, is the best place in New York City to eat."

Eddie would've expected a high class and expensive restaurant, but the shady hallway and crappy sign made him think otherwise. Burger Joint.

He smiled softly, looking at Richie. "This place seems cool, I wouldn't expect it from you." He said softly, and Richie grinned.

"Told ya I'm a normal teen. Go inside and look at it."

Eddie's eyes widened when he did so, the vast variety of graffiti that covered the walls of the restaurant shocking him. He smiled even wider. "This is funky, I like it!"

Richie grinned and waited by the door with Eddie until someone came to seat them, giving them the classic (but not classic at all because not many places have these) cardboard menus. Eddie could only describe it as amazing, even though any stuck up snob would easily classify it as a disgusting place. Eddie loved it.

"They have the best burgers, Eds." Richie said, smiling as he looked over the menu, and he wasn't wrong. Eddie enjoyed his food nearly as much as he enjoyed the time he was spending with Richie.

Richie's plans were nearing an end as their meal followed suit, until he told Eddie to put his burger down for a minute. "So I know it's probably not the best place to ask because we've just ordered off cardboard, but do you want to officially be my boyfriend, Eddie?"

No cheesy nickname, and not a hint of his usual joking tone, but Eddie still broke out into a grin and nodded fast. "Of course, Richie."

And they made it to the hotel room, both stuffed and exhausted as the red digital clock blinked 11:49 in the dark room. The lights were turned on for the two teens to tiredly change and Richie was left to turn them off after Eddie flopped onto the cozy bed, but you couldn't catch him complain because he had a huge soft spot of the smaller teen.

"'Chee come cuddle." Eddie mumbled tiredly, and who was Richie to deny? He shuffled over to the bed, sliding under the blankets and pulling Eddie close to him. Eddie smiled against him, closing his eyes again.

"I love you, Eddie." Richie said softly, closing his own eyes as Eddie repeated the words.

And if paparazzi got it all on camera, neither of them cared. 


	32. Chapter 32

The next morning, Eddie woke up to 392 message requests on instagram. He sat up a little straighter, eyes wide as he looked the notifications. "Richie." He put hi hand on Richie's shoulder, shaking him slightly to wake him up.

Richie's eyes opened slowly, blinking blearily up at Eddie. "Hmm, Eds?"

"Something happened. There must've been pictures, something, my instagram is blowing up again and-" Eddie cut himself off with a deep breath, the panic finally settling in that drama was starting again, because for some reason, the kids could never get a break and be happy. Richie sat up quickly, pulling Eddie close in a hug. "Hey, calm down, it's okay, Eds."

After a while he did, but his mind was still racing at what could be behind the 392 message request button. He shivered slightly, watching as Richie scrolled through his phone to find the source of the drama, until he found it.

A picture. Multiple pictures, actually, snapped of their little date last night, pictures of them holding hands in the park, pictures of them smiling, pictures of them in the Burger Joint. Richie didn't mind them at all, but his fans seemed to.

"Eds, it's fine, they're just being jealous. Just don't open your directs, okay?" Richie said, looking at Eddie, who's finger had started to hover over the button again. "Eddie, stop, don't open them."

Eddie looked back at him with a sigh, tossing his phone to the bed and laying back down. "Why don't they like me, Richie? Have I really done something wrong?" He asked, looking sadly up at his boyfriend. Richie shook his head fast.

"Of course not, Eddie, they're just jealous because you're with me and they're not. That's really the only reason." Richie assured him, pulling him close. "There isn't one single 'exposing Eddie' account out their because there's nothing to expose. You've done nothing wrong."

Eddie nodded slightly against Richie, wrapping his arms around him. Richie smiled softly. "We can do a livestream and talk to them about it if you want?"

Eddie looked up at him, a hesitant expression spreading across his face. "Should we?"

"Well, I can tell them to stop bothering you and you can talk to them too if you want." Richie offered, and Eddie slowly agreed. It could work better than the seemingly useless tweet.

So the two teens got up, putting on clothes that were much more appealing than stained pajama shirts, and Eddie took the extra step of combing his hair. Richie's wouldn't look too much different if he did anyway.

Richie balanced his phone against the wall as the two sat with their backs to the wall, in the same screen. As soon as Richie hit the button, the comments section started to explode. "Hey, guys! It's just me and Eds today, none of the other band, but we gotta talk to you all." Richie said.

"So after this we can do a little Q&A because you never run out of interesting questions, but important matters first - you guys really need to stop being so mean to Eddie." Richie said blatantly. Eddie looked at him, a little shocked he said it like that. "Really. He hasn't done anything to deserve all the hate comments and direct messages some of you have been sending him. If you can't respect my personal life and can't accept that I'm with Eddie, than that's your problem. It's not a problem you should be spreading everywhere. Eds, anything you wanna say?"

"I, uh, I don't really know, um, I mean I agree with Richie. I don't think I've really done anything to make some of you dislike me so much, but if I did I'm really sorry." Eddie said, hoping it worked well enough. He rubbed his hands together to keep them from shaking so hard until he felt Richie grab his. He could practically hear Richie mentally telling him to calm down and take a deep breath. "It's just- it's bullying. You know? Bullying isn't an okay thing, and I know that for a long time Richie has been an advocate against bullying, so I don't really get how you can bully someone for who they love when the person they love says how bullying is wrong and you agree with it. It's hypocritical, and it hurts people more than you'd think."

"Anyway, if you understand that, I'd like to get to Q&A because it's much more fun than people bullying my boyfriend." Richie cut him off, worried that Eddie could get himself more sad than he already was. Eddie just smiled at him.

"Question one - what kind of pizza Do I like? New York style pizza. It's the best, always has been and always will be. Also, yeah, Stan, I see you in the comments, don't come at me with your normal pizza bullshit." Richie laughed, and Eddie was enamored with him.

The livestream continued for about an hour, the two teens having fun interacting with the commenters. Eddie couldn't wipe the smile off his face the whole time.

Richie could either, until the stream ended and he got a call from an unknown number.


End file.
